The Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, has said the current fight against insecurity cannot be won by firepower alone, but equally by the mastery of information.
She urged personnel of the directorate and media to work together to deny enemies of the country oxygen of propaganda.
Lt.-Col. Anele stated this Thursday in her remarks at the closing ceremony of combined third and fourth quarter training serminar of the directorate in Abuja.
The theme of the serminar was: “Enhancing Responsible Media Reportage of Nigerian Army Operations in a Joint and Multi-Agency Environment for Enhanced National Security.”
According to her, propaganda, misinformation and disinformation have become dangerous weapons in the hands of terrorists, secessionists, economic saboteurs and their collaborators.
She said urged the personnel of the directorate and the media to work together to ensure that enemies of the state erode public trust and troops’ morale with falsehood.
“Our collective task is to ensure these falsehoods do not erode public trust, weaken national morale or undermine the sacrifices of our gallant troops who daily confront enemies of our state,” she said.
Anele said the Nigerian Army remains unwavering in its constitutional mandate to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our Nigeria.
She however, said for lasting peace to be achieved, the cooperation of the media is indispensable.
“You are not bystanders in this fight; you are strategic partners whose words and reports shape perception, build resilience, and mobilize public support for the armed forces,” she said.
She noted that the seminar provided the platform to deepen partnership with the media, strengthen mutual trust and chart a clear path for more responsible, balanced and conflict-sensitive reportage.
“Over the course of this training, erudite resource persons have enriched us with invaluable knowledge, best practices and practical insights.
“These contributions will serve as a compass as we continue to engage the media space with clarity, credibility and professionalism,” she said.
She urged participants to translate lessons learnt from the serminar into action, in the newsroom, on the field or in respective deployments.
