VON DG Calls for Strategic Communication in Security

At the Defence Headquarters Psychological Operations Workshop 2026 held in Abuja, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), called for enhanced influence operations based on credibility and strategic communication. He stated that modern conflicts are increasingly determined by public perception alongside military action.

Ndace commended General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff, for organizing the workshop, recognizing it as a proactive measure to address evolving warfare. He noted that Nigeria faces significant security challenges, including terrorism and banditry, exacerbated by misinformation and digital influence.

Ndace emphasized that successful influence campaigns must be grounded in credibility and warned against relying solely on propaganda. He praised the Federal Government's efforts to rebuild public trust through transparent communication and highlighted the need for collaboration among military, intelligence, media, and civil society to combat emerging threats like artificial intelligence-generated disinformation.

Ndace supported a whole-of-society approach to national security, asserting that lasting peace requires more than military operations.