2027: AI-generated fake news threatens national security, centre warns

Participants at the two-day symposium organised by The Centre for Crisis Communication in Kaduna on Wednesday.

The Centre for Crisis Communication has warned that artificial intelligence-generated fake news, deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns pose growing threats to Nigeria’s national security, public trust and stability ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The centre urged the Federal Government to establish a functional technological framework to detect and counter disinformation while protecting freedom of expression and other fundamental rights.

The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the centre’s two-day Second National Symposium on Crisis Communication, held in Kaduna on Wednesday.

The symposium, themed “Inter-Agency Collaboration, Public Trust and Cyber Threat Management in Crisis Communication,” attracted more than 150 participants from the military, security and intelligence agencies, emergency responders, government institutions, academia and the media.

The participants warned that false information circulated during emergencies could trigger panic, endanger lives, disrupt security operations and erode public confidence in government institutions.

They recommended an Integrated National Crisis Information Architecture to harmonise information-sharing and public communication among security agencies and other relevant institutions.

In his welcome address, the CCC Chairman, Major-General Chris Olukolade (retd.), emphasised the importance of crisis communication to national security and public safety, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 elections amid growing concerns over AI-generated deepfakes and information manipulation.

Declaring the symposium open on behalf of Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the state Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, described misinformation and disinformation as emerging national security threats and advocated sensitisation programmes to educate political actors on responsible communication.

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The keynote speaker, the Managing Director of Beacon Security and Innovation Limited, Dr Kabiru Adamu, represented by Samuel Aruwan, highlighted the diverse security challenges across the country’s six geopolitical zones and stressed the need for coordinated communication and effective collaboration among security agencies.

The communiqué stated that “false information circulated during emergencies could trigger panic, divert critical resources, endanger lives and undermine public trust.”

The participants also called for appropriate regulatory frameworks for social media platforms and AI applications to safeguard national security while protecting freedom of expression, fundamental rights and due process.

They urged the CCC and relevant stakeholders to organise sensitisation programmes for political actors, journalists and media editors ahead of the 2027 elections, alongside stronger early-warning systems, joint threat monitoring, regular training and secure information-sharing mechanisms.

The communiqué further noted that conflicting statements from security agencies could confuse the public and undermine institutional credibility. It called for designated spokespersons to have timely access to verified information, subject to operational security requirements.

The communiqué was signed by Commodore Kabir Aliyu (retd.) of the CCC and Ikramat Umar Muazu of the National Emergency Management Agency.