Artificial Intelligence is accelerating the speed and scale of crises beyond the capacity of institutions to respond, eroding trust and widening the gap between emerging threats and preparedness, stakeholders warned.
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They said misinformation, deepfakes and AI–driven cyber threats were spreading faster than official responses, leaving governments, organisations and leaders increasingly exposed as digital risks evolve at unprecedented speed.
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Speaking at the 2026 Crisis Management Advocacy Month flagship conference in Lagos, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said crises were inevitable, but outcomes would depend largely on preparedness and the ability of institutions to respond effectively.
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He said communication plays a central role in shaping crisis outcomes, noting that information influences behaviour, shapes perception and ultimately determines trust and public reaction.

He urged a shift in perception, describing crises as opportunities for reform and innovation when properly managed, adding that governments must invest in systems that strengthen resilience.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Segun Ogunsanya, said artificial intelligence was redefining economies and societies while simultaneously introducing new vulnerabilities, including misinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, data leaks and ethical risks in automated systems.
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He noted that such threats were no longer theoretical, warning that AI-driven crises were faster, more complex and often difficult to detect, requiring institutions to move beyond reactive responses to proactive resilience.
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Similarly, Lead Partner, CMC Connect LLP, Yomi Okusanya, said the nature of crises has fundamentally changed, with technology accelerating both their speed and intensity.

He said: ‎”Today, crises are faster than facts, louder than truth, and increasingly engineered.”
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During the panel session, experts further emphasised that trust and response speed were central to managing crises in the AI era.
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Chief Executive Officer of Cihan Communications, Celestine Achi, said organisations must prioritise building and sustaining trust, noting that reputational damage driven by artificial intelligence was increasingly difficult to quantify and recover from.
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Director of Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, said organisations must align internal processes with the speed of digital disruptions to avoid escalation.
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Also, Global Head of Marketing, English and School Education Programmes at the British Council, Edemekong Uyoh, emphasised the importance of human judgment, noting that data must be interpreted within context while ethical responsibility remains with people.
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Group CEO – South Asia, Middle East and Africa at Inicio Insights and Consulting, Himanshu Verma, said financial fraud losses reached nearly N150 billion in 2024, underscoring the growing economic and reputational risks associated with digital threats.