The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), has opined that no single service or security agency can singlehandedly solve Nigeria’s security challenges.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Defence Headquarters Joint Doctrine and Welfare Centre in Abuja, Musa believed that effective joint doctrine serves as the intellectual foundation on which inter-operability, coordination and operational success are built.
He stressed that no single individual and no single service can do it alone, stressing that it is a whole of society and a whole of government approach.
He explained that the Army secures the ground, the Navy guards the waterways and the Air Force provides the indispensable air power, pointing out that other security agencies also play their part, including citizens, who somehow are the fuel in which the terrorists, the bandits, the criminals flow in.
According to the minister, “It is jointness that turns this individual strength into a single overwhelming force, the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre signifies Nigeria’s determination to institutionalize the way we think, plan and fight as a unified force.”
Musa stated that the establishment of the centre in July last year was aimed at fostering an environment of continuous learning, critical thinking and inter-service dialogue as well as a place where they break down the problem, where ground forces understand the intricacies of naval power, where airmen appreciate the challenges of special operations, and where all branches learn to liberate each other’s strengths to achieve overwhelming superiority.
Musa said that it should be a new chapter in the military history, where mutual effort, shared understanding and doctrinal clarity must be the guiding principles, adding that the inaugural lecture is intended to develop a unified approach to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
He added that it provides a platform for critical reflection, professional discourse and knowledge and data exchange among key stakeholders within and outside the defence sector.
More importantly, he opined that it sets the tone for institutionalising the culture of doctrinal development, continuous learning and strategic adaptability within the armed forces of Nigeria.
Reacting to some of the issues raised during the lecture, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said the military is making efforts to improve on indegenious technology through the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
He said the outcome of the lecture would be presented to the Federal Executive Council and the Nigeria Governor’s forum for their their buy in, noting that the military will work with neighbouring countries to ensure that the issue is resolved.
He explained that one very cardinal thing that got him thinking was the issue of border security, saying that the immigration has been doing a lot to see the issue is resolved as they are going to do their best working with contagious countries to ensure that the issue is resolved.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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