By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, GCON, has reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s (AFN) commitment to leveraging psychological and influence operations as strategic instruments for conflict prevention, national stabilization and sustainable peace.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, the CDS spoke at the opening of the two-day Defence Headquarters Psychological Operations Workshop held in Abuja from 23rd to 24th July, 2026.
Speaking on the theme: _”Building National Resilience: The Role of Influence Operations in Conflict Prevention and Stabilization”_, General Oluyede emphasized that building national resilience requires a coordinated whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving government institutions, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the media and local communities.
He described the workshop as timely and significant, noting that influence operations have become indispensable in addressing the root causes of conflict, countering misinformation and disinformation, strengthening public trust and fostering peaceful coexistence.
The Special Guest of Honour, Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Dr Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, represented by the Director of News, Hajiya Halima Musa, underscored the importance of strategic communication in countering adversarial narratives and safeguarding national unity.
Similarly, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, in his keynote address, stressed that sustainable peace requires credible communication, public engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders.
He noted that influence operations remain critical in promoting trust, national cohesion and resilience.
At the close of the workshop, participants drawn from the Armed Forces, security and intelligence agencies, government institutions, academia, civil society organisations and the media adopted key recommendations aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s national resilience through enhanced strategic communication and coordinated influence operations.
The participants called for: Deeper interagency collaboration, Institutional capacity building, Improved public engagement, Integration of influence operations into national conflict prevention and stabilization efforts
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to sustain collaboration in countering misinformation, preventing violent extremism, strengthening public confidence in state institutions and promoting lasting peace, unity and national development across Nigeria.
