By Bassey Udo
Worsening insecurity, rising inflation, food insecurity, disinformation and rising ethno-religious divisions pose significant threats to Nigeria’s economic stability, national unity and democratic governance, the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) has warned.
The warning was contained in the Centre’s Second Quarter 2026 National Security and Stability Report presented in Abuja on Tuesday by its Chairman, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade (rtd).
Olukolade said the report, prepared by the Centre’s Crisis Communication Hub, revealed a decline in Nigeria’s security and information ecosystem during the period under review, particularly in June.
He said the assessment revealed “a marked deterioration in the country’s security landscape,” characterised by persistent terrorist attacks, mass kidnappings, violent banditry, farmer-herder clashes, the resurgence of extremist elements and the growing use of artificial intelligence-driven disinformation and coordinated misinformation campaigns.
Acknowledging efforts by the Armed Forces and other security agencies to rescue abducted victims and check the activities of terrorist, Olukolade said criminal groups continued to frustrate such efforts with new tactics.
This reality,he noted, underscored the urgent need for more robust, coordinated, and intelligence-driven responses across all security formations.
Linking the country’s security challenges to the prevailing economic hardship in the country, Olukolade warned that inflation and food insecurity were worsening public frustration and increasing social vulnerabilities.
He expressed concern that the worsening economic conditions, rising food insecurity and persistent inflation have continued to exacerbate public frustration and heighten social vulnerabilities.
Olukolade further raised concerns over what he described as the unprecedented spread of fake news, manipulated multimedia content and AI-generated disinformation capable of undermining public confidence in state institutions.
Nigeria, he noted, was experiencing an unprecedented proliferation of fake news, manipulated multimedia contents, AI-generated disinformation and inflammatory narratives capable of undermining public confidence in state institutions, adding that this has aggravated social tensions and complicated ongoing security operations.
Warning about the impact of these vices on political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Olukolade said deliberate spread of false information and hate speech were increasingly posing a threat to national peace and democratic stability.
The CCC chairman also expressed concern over reported restrictions on press freedom and the alleged misuse of existing laws against journalists, saying these developments have serious implications for democratic governance and public accountability.
He warned against the growing weaponisation of ethnic and religious identities by some politicians, saying a particularly disturbing trend was identified during the quarter, which revealed an increasing weaponisation of ethnic and religious identities by some political actors for partisan purposes.
Nigeria’s hard-earned gains in nation-building, national integration and peaceful coexistence, the Centre warned, were gradually being eroded by divisive rhetoric and identity politics.
Unless the trend was urgently redressed, he said it could further inflame tensions and undermine national unity in the run up to the country’s 2027 general elections.
The Centre recommended, among other things, the need for the Federal Government and security agencies to strengthen specialised training, improve rescue operations and adopt more intelligence-driven strategies to tackle kidnappings and other security emergencies.
Urging journalists, commentators and social media users to avoid sensationalising the reporting kidnapping incidents and ongoing rescue operations, Olukolade said responsible reporting and the dissemination of verified information were essential to protecting security operations and preventing unnecessary public panic.
He called on political leaders to refrain from exploiting ethnic and religious differences for political advantage and instead promote national cohesion, reiterating the Centre’s support for the current proposal to establish state police as part of the broader security sector reforms.
“Considering the growing public consensus that state policing represents a more responsive and effective approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, the Centre reiterates its support for the establishment of state police as part of broader security sector reforms,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the constitutional, legal and institutional framework for state policing should not be subjected to unnecessary delays, while adequate safeguards should be put in place to guarantee professionalism, accountability and protection against abuse.
He called on government institutions, security agencies, political parties, religious and traditional leaders, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to work collectively to combat misinformation, strengthen national unity and promote responsible public communication, maintaining that addressing Nigeria’s security challenges required “a whole-of-society approach” anchored on professionalism, strategic communication, intelligence-led operations, responsible leadership and active citizen participation.
