The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, says misinformation and hostile propaganda have become major security threats, underscoring the need for stronger collaboration between the military and the media.
Shaibu said this yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR) Combined First and Second Quarters Media Workshop 2026.
Represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs (Army), Maj.-Gen. Musa Etsu-Ndagi, the COAS said that modern adversaries increasingly relied on misinformation and psychological operations to undermine public confidence. He noted that effective media engagement had therefore become a force multiplier in joint and multi-agency security operations.
According to him, it must be recognised that today’s adversaries rely heavily on propaganda and information manipulation. ”When left unchecked, disinformation can be as damaging as a direct security threat”.
The COAS said the evolving security environment required stronger military-media partnerships to counter fake news, hostile narratives and other forms of information disorder capable of undermining national security efforts.
He also said that public support remained a strategic necessity for operational success, adding that effective communication helped in strengthening cooperation between security agencies and citizens.
He described the theme of the workshop: ‘Media Integration as a Force Multiplier for Joint and Multi-Agency Operational Success’, as timely and strategic, in view of contemporary security challenges.
He noted that the media had gone beyond its traditional role of informing the public to becoming a critical instrument for shaping perceptions, projecting credible narratives and countering adversarial propaganda.
