Chief of the Air Staff Sunday Kelvin Aneke has warned that misinformation, disinformation and hostile narratives can undermine military operations and public confidence.
He made the remarks at the Nigerian Air Force Directorate of Public Relations and Information annual media workshop in Abuja.
Represented by Chief of Policy and Plans Abubakar Yaro Abdullahi, Aneke said the modern information environment was highly contested and increasingly important to mission success.
He said news now travelled at unprecedented speed, making inaccurate or deliberately misleading narratives capable of affecting public understanding of security operations.
The Air Chief described effective communication as an operational requirement rather than simply a public relations function.
He told information officers that their responsibilities went beyond issuing press releases and organising media events.
Aneke said military communicators were responsible for explaining operations, protecting institutional credibility and strengthening public trust.
He urged them to prioritize accuracy, professionalism, integrity and speed.
The Air Force also said it needed to communicate more proactively and transparently while responding to evolving security challenges.
Aneke called for stronger stakeholder engagement, crisis communication and mechanisms for countering false narratives.
The workshop forms part of the service’s effort to strengthen the way information is managed during security operations.
The NAF said public confidence depended partly on whether official communication was timely, credible and consistent with events on the ground.
