In order to fulfil its constitutional obligations of defending the country, President Bola Tinubu has pledged to restructure the Nigerian military as a resource-rich and purpose-built organisation. The commitment came from the president, who was represented by the minister of defence, Mohammed Badaru, on Friday at the graduation ceremony for National Defence College (NDC) Course 31 graduates in Abuja. He praised the Nigerian Armed Forces, calling them one of the finest institutions on which Nigeria should pride itself and promising that the government will always value the service of its brave military.
Also, the president extended his gratitude to the Commandant and the Management Team of the College for all of their hard work in cultivating and empowering such an exceptional group of strategic leaders for the Armed Forces, Departments, Agencies of the Government and Ministries as well as for all of the other nations that were represented in the Course. He stated that the college had continued its tradition of producing military and civilian leaders who are cognitively sound, fearless, patriotic, and have high levels of integrity.
Nigeria pressing issues need excellent and innovative leadership.
He explained that the college one-of-a-kind approach to consolidating knowledge over a broad thematic area had assisted in discovering long-term solutions to national security and development issues, not only in Nigeria but also in Africa and beyond. He expressed optimism that the graduates of course 31 would contribute what they learned, expertise, and skills obtained during the training to assist in finding solutions for present and developing security and growth issues in the country. He said this would help the country make progress.
Insecurity, social and economic problems, climate change, and migratory issues, which are known as the “Japa syndrome.” are part of the challenges plaguing the nation. It also suffers challenges such as systemic corruption, the theft of crude oil, a decline in national productivity, inadequate infrastructure, an insufficient revenue base and an increase in both domestic and external debt. To find solutions to these problems, they need leadership that is both inventive and driven by a clear sense of purpose.
Knowledge acquired from the college should be applied.
Since taking office, he has put his head up and confronted the problem front-on, and they will prevail by God’s special grace. He acknowledges that such issues will also require the application of the knowledge and understanding that they have gained from attending this college. The president stated that in order to reposition the Nigerian economy for prosperous and inclusive growth, he had taken several critical policy moves, such as the elimination of oil subsidies and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange rate, amongst other measures.
Participants were urged to return to their various services and agencies and synchronise with the visions of the new leadership after he explained that he had reorganised the leadership of the military forces, including the police, among others, to bring in a fresh perspective on handling the security concerns. To name just a few, Tinubu listed the disruptive effects of new technology, cyber threats, and the undemocratic change of government in the African sub-region as some of the many dangers the world faces today.
The college would be transformed into a full-fledged Defence University.
Lastly, he urged the armed forces to aid the governments in West Africa in bolstering their resistance to the current democratic recession and developing more effective responses to the region’s many problems. To that end, he said, he is placing his faith in their ability to give innovative leadership that will help humanity overcome its pressing problems. The president also promised that the college’s permanent site would be finished by the conclusion of his first term so that it could easily transform into a full-fledged Defence University.
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