By Miriam Humbe
The Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lt Col Appolonia Anele has said that her leadership will strive to equip the Directorate of Army Public Relations with the latest skills and knowledge to enable personnel produce high quality Media Content, leveraging new techniques, and meeting the evolving needs of the audience.
She disclosed this during the graduation ceremony of participants of Strategic Communication Officers Course 2/2025.
The event was held at Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbeja Auditorium, Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.
The Director, said that the commitment to personnel development shall drive her mission which will be driven by the pillars of innovation, professionalism, competence, positive Command, excellence, and sustainability in Directorate, ultimately enhancing it’s reputation and impact in the media landscape.
She further added that the knowledge and skills acquired within the period of the course have made participants better informed.
She therefore urged graduating participants to uphold all the knowledge impacted on them and the core values of the Nigerian Army as they return back to their respective units.
The Army Spokesperson thanked the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen OO Oluyede NAM, under whose guidance the Directorate has attained the level of proficiency.
She also thanked the Chief of Training (COT), Maj Gen AS Ndalolo through whose office, the resources for the courses were channelled to the participants.
She further rendered appreciation to resource persons drawn from University of Northern Iowa, USA, University of Abuja, National Open University and Philomath University Abuja who exposed the participants to global trends in the media space.
Earlier, the Acting Commandant NASPRI, Lt Col Adamu Ngulde in his remarks stressed that the Strategic Communication Course was designed to enhance the participant’s capabilities in Influence Operations, Managing Institutional Narratives, and aligning Military Communication with National Security objectives. Lt Col Ngulde further said that their expertise will serve as a decisive tool in both peace and conflict times especially in an era where narratives shape the battlespace as much as bullets.
He therefore reminded them as Public Relations and Strategic Communication professionals that their roles transcend the ordinary as they are the architects of trust between the military and the public, hence their voices, their words and their strategic messaging will influence perception, bolster morale, and defend the credibility of the Nigerian Army both at home and abroad.
Delivering the Course Appraisal, the Acting Chief Instructor (CI) of the school, Maj T Wenke expressed utmost pleasure with the high level of discipline and determination of the participants through out the course.
According to him, the participants were taken through theoretical and practical assessment in variety of subjects geared towards enhancing their proficiency in the field.
The participants took part in the activities of the school, including morning Physical Training and evening games.
High points of the event included presentation of certificates to the participants, presentation of awards to participants who distinguished themselves during the course, group photograph at the front of the NASPRI Admin Complex and tree planting campaign within the NASPRI Cantonment.
