CDS Urges Stronger Collaboration To Build National Resilience, Counter Misinformation

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the media and local communities to strengthen Nigeria’s national resilience and tackle emerging security threats through strategic influence operations.

In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, on Friday, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, said at the opening of the two-day Defence Headquarters Psychological Operations Workshop in Abuja that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) remained committed to deploying psychological and influence operations as strategic tools for conflict prevention, national stabilisation and the promotion of sustainable peace.

Speaking on the theme, “Building National Resilience: The Role of Influence Operations in Conflict Prevention and Stabilization,” the CDS described the workshop as timely, noting that influence operations have become critical in addressing the root causes of conflict, countering misinformation and disinformation, strengthening public trust and fostering peaceful coexistence.

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He stressed that building national resilience requires a coordinated whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, with all relevant stakeholders working together to protect national unity and enhance public confidence in state institutions.

The Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Dr. Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, represented by the Director of News, Hajiya Halima Musa, highlighted the importance of strategic communication in countering hostile narratives and safeguarding national cohesion.

Similarly, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, said sustainable peace could only be achieved through credible communication, active public engagement and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

Ndace noted that influence operations remained vital in promoting trust, strengthening national cohesion and enhancing the country’s resilience against security and information threats.

At the end of the workshop, participants drawn from the Armed Forces, security and intelligence agencies, government institutions, academia, civil society organisations and the media adopted recommendations aimed at improving Nigeria’s national resilience through enhanced strategic communication and coordinated influence operations.

The participants called for deeper inter-agency collaboration, institutional capacity building, improved public engagement and the integration of influence operations into national conflict prevention and stabilisation efforts.

The workshop concluded with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration in countering misinformation, preventing violent extremism, strengthening public confidence in state institutions and promoting lasting peace, unity and national development across the country.