The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, the media, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and local communities to build national resilience and tackle Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
The CDS made the call at the Defence Headquarters Psychological Operations Workshop held in Abuja from July 23 to 24, 2026, where he reaffirmed the Nigeria military’s commitment to deploying psychological and influence operations as strategic tools for conflict prevention, national stabilisation and sustainable peace.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, General Oluyede said building national resilience requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, stressing that influence operations have become critical in addressing the root causes of conflict, countering misinformation and disinformation, strengthening public trust and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Speaking on the workshop’s theme, “Building National Resilience: The Role of Influence Operations in Conflict Prevention and Stabilization,” the CDS described the gathering as timely, noting that strategic communication is increasingly vital in addressing modern security threats.
The Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Dr Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, represented by the Director of News, Hajiya Halima Musa, emphasised the importance of strategic communication in countering hostile narratives and preserving national unity.
In his keynote address, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, said sustainable peace depends on credible communication, effective public engagement and collaboration among stakeholders, adding that influence operations remain essential for strengthening public confidence, national cohesion and resilience.
At the end of the two-day 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.
The recommendations included enhanced inter-agency collaboration, institutional capacity building, improved public engagement and the integration of influence operations into national conflict prevention and stabilisation efforts.
Participants also pledged to sustain collaboration in combating misinformation, preventing violent extremism, strengthening public confidence in state institutions and promoting lasting peace, unity and national development across the country.
