In a marked demonstration of inter-agency collaboration and strategic foresight, the Defence Headquarters of Nigeria recently convened its annual Psychological Operations Workshop, drawing elite commanders and specialists from across the nation’s security architecture. Among the distinguished participants was Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) John Onoja Attah, Mining Marshal Commander, whose presence underscored the widening scope of influence operations in contemporary security management.
Held under the theme “Defence Headquarters Influence Operations: Optimizing Psychological Operations for Efficiency within a Joint Environment,” the 2025 edition of the workshop sought to enhance the coordination, precision, and effectiveness of psychological and influence-based tactics within joint operations. The initiative comes amid increasing complexity in Nigeria’s security landscape, where hybrid threats demand not only kinetic responses but also calibrated psychological interventions.
ACC Attah John Onoja, who leads the Mining Marshals Command with a mandate to secure Nigeria’s vast mineral assets, praised the Defence Headquarters for what he described as a “strategically timely intervention.” Speaking on the sidelines of the event, he remarked, “This workshop has significantly sharpened our strategic posture. In mining security and beyond, the ability to influence perceptions, manage narratives, and unify purpose across diverse commands is pivotal to mission success- one of the key components of Dr Abubakar Ahmed Audi’s strategic Master plan for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.”
The Mining Marshal’s participation reflects a broader doctrinal shift, as non-traditional theatres such as resource protection increasingly fall within the ambit of national defence planning. As criminal syndicates and terror-linked mining activities proliferate, the Defence Headquarters appears keen to consolidate psychological operations as a central plank of Nigeria’s multi-agency counter-threat strategy.
Senior defence officials described the workshop as a vital forum for cultivating shared understanding and refining tactics among military and paramilitary units. “Influence operations must evolve in tandem with modern warfare,” said one senior officer. “In today’s battlespace, victory often begins in the mind.”
With Nigeria’s Armed Forces and affiliated agencies facing mounting pressures from insurgency, resource-related banditry, and cyber-propaganda, the Defence Headquarters’ continued investment in cognitive warfare training is seen as both prescient and necessary. That seasoned field officers such as ACC Attah are being incorporated into such elite circles signals a more integrated approach to national security going forward.
The workshop concluded with commitments to deepen inter-service collaboration and enhance operational synchrony — not merely in battlefield engagements, but in the psychological domains where hearts and minds are contested.