In a moment that captured both the weight of national responsibility and the quiet dignity of private-sector achievement, Dr. Brendan Innocent Usoro, the Executive Chairman of Miden Systems Limited, stood before an audience of media leaders, policymakers and fellow Nigerians to receive one of the country’s most meaningful recognitions. The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Press Council, had chosen him for the Excellence in Corporate Governance and Business Integrity Award, an honour that does not celebrate wealth or visibility but rather the steadier virtues of ethical leadership, transparency and a long career built on honest business dealings. For Usoro, the award was not merely a personal milestone. It was an affirmation of values that he has carried since Miden Systems was founded in 1997 — a reminder that business can be both successful and principled, and that integrity remains the most durable currency in any economy. The ceremony took place at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja, during the Nigerian Press Council’s National Summit on Curbing Fake News and Misinformation in the Nigerian Media Space, a setting that made the recognition especially meaningful. Here was a man being honoured for corporate integrity at a gathering devoted to truth and trust, two qualities that bind together healthy societies and honest enterprises alike.
The summit itself was never intended to be a routine gathering. Organized by the Nigerian Press Council under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, it drew together an unusually broad coalition of voices: media practitioners, policymakers, government officials, corporate executives, security agencies and civil society stakeholders. They came with a shared sense of urgency, aware that misinformation has ceased to be a vague digital nuisance and has become a structural threat to national security, democratic stability and peaceful coexistence. With Nigeria moving toward the 2027 general elections, the stakes felt immediate and personal. The room was filled with men and women who understood that the next electoral cycle could be poisoned by fabricated stories, doctored videos and weaponized rumors long before any ballot was cast. The summit was designed to do more than diagnose the problem; it aimed to produce practical strategies for strengthening responsible journalism, improving media literacy and building a more resilient information ecosystem. And within that ambitious framework, the decision to honour individuals like Usoro sent a clear message: the fight against misinformation is not only a media issue. It is also a governance issue, a business issue and a moral issue.
When Usoro rose to speak, his remarks reflected the sober realism of someone who has watched the information landscape change dramatically over decades of professional life. He described fake news and misinformation as serious concerns not just for politicians or journalists, but for every Nigerian who depends on reliable information to make decisions about health, safety, business and voting. He was particularly troubled by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence tools capable of producing fabricated audio recordings, manipulating videos and generating misleading reports that can be nearly impossible to distinguish from genuine content. This new frontier of disinformation, he warned, has made it dangerously difficult for ordinary citizens to separate credible information from falsehood. He spoke directly to the approaching 2027 elections, noting that misinformation can distort political campaigns, undermine electoral activities, damage business confidence and manipulate public perception. More troublingly, he added, false information can deepen ethnic and religious tensions, corrode trust in democratic institutions and quietly shape the choices citizens make at the ballot box. Usoro’s words carried the weight of a man who was not speaking abstractly. He was describing the very conditions under which democracy becomes fragile and societies become vulnerable to division.
But Usoro did not stop at diagnosis. He offered a path forward, rooted in shared responsibility and practical action. He called for a coordinated response involving government institutions, media organizations, technology companies and citizens themselves. Central to his message was the need for personal accountability: Nigerians must verify information before sharing it, especially sensational messages, photographs and videos that circulate rapidly on social media. He pointed to independent fact-checking platforms such as Dubawa as valuable tools for establishing the authenticity of reports before they spread. He also urged stronger investment in journalism and fact-checking, including improved training for reporters and greater access to artificial intelligence-assisted verification tools that can help identify and debunk false content more quickly. Usoro did not shy away from the role of regulators either. He specifically mentioned the National Information Technology Development Agency and the Nigerian Communications Commission, urging these institutions to deepen collaboration with technology companies and civil society in promoting responsible information sharing. Yet he was careful to strike an important balance: efforts to combat misinformation must never become excuses to suppress press freedom, muzzle legitimate criticism or restrict the free expression that democracy requires. In his vision, the answer to bad information is not less freedom but more responsibility — better tools, stronger institutions and a more discerning public.
Usoro’s own life and career gave his words a particular credibility. Miden Systems Limited, he explained, began in 1997 as a modest company providing safety and equipment maintenance services. Over the years, it evolved into a diversified business with interests in marine services, logistics, offshore and onshore facility upgrades, maintenance and management. The company went on to secure major term contracts in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, serving clients that include the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, Renaissance Africa Energy Company, ExxonMobil, Nigeria LNG Limited, Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refinery Company, Addax Petroleum and Nigerian Agip Oil Company. This is not the trajectory of a company that chased shortcuts. It is the history of an organization that grew by keeping promises, maintaining long-standing client relationships and demonstrating that ethical conduct can coexist with commercial success. Expressing gratitude to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Press Council, Usoro said the award reflected the very values that underpin Miden Systems’ operations both in Nigeria and internationally. “We remain committed to ethical, honest and transparent business transactions at all levels of our operations,” he said. In that short statement was the whole philosophy of a man who believes integrity is not a constraint on success but the foundation of it.
The summit’s broader proceedings reinforced Usoro’s message. The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Press Council, Dr. Dili Ezughah, explained that the event was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s media ecosystem, promote responsible journalism and improve the capacity of media professionals to combat misinformation as the nation prepares for the 2027 elections. The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, speaking through his Special Adviser on Intelligence, Musa Likita, described fake news and misinformation as serious threats to national security, democratic governance and peaceful coexistence. He called on media organizations, government institutions and citizens to work together in promoting accurate information and responsible communication. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by Dr. Haruna Suleiman, emphasized the importance of timely, transparent public communication and urged media houses to strengthen editorial oversight, verify sources and correct errors promptly. He also advocated increased media and information literacy across schools, universities, communities and public institutions, so that citizens learn to question sensational claims and recognise manipulated content. Other distinguished Nigerians honoured at the ceremony included Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, Barrister Obioma Success Akagburuonye and Dr. Yakubu Barde, among others. As the summit drew to a close, participants agreed on a simple but demanding conclusion: the fight against misinformation requires collective action that protects press freedom, upholds professional standards and safeguards public trust. For Usoro, that fight is inseparable from the business of building a nation — and the quiet, consistent work of doing business with honour.