PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has vowed to invoke his constitutional powers to continue to equip, arm and empower the Nigerian military.
He acknowledged “the importance of strategic leadership in addressing the complex security and development challenges” confronting Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications (Office of The Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, on Friday, President Tinubu made the vow on Friday during the graduation ceremony of the Course 32 participants at the National Defence College Abuja.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, the President decried the state of infrastructure at the National Defence College’s permanent site at Piwoyi, Abuja, noting that, while his administration has made substantial progress, there is still more work to be done in the school.
Accordingly, he restated his administration’s commitment to ensuring ongoing work and upgrading of the facilities at the permanent site are completed.
Vowing to arm and equip the nation’s armed forces, the President said, “Under my watch, members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have made remarkable sacrifices and recorded significant achievements in protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and securing the lives and properties of our citizens.
“I will continue to do everything within my constitutional powers to ensure that the Nigerian military is well-resourced and fit for purpose”. President Tinubu thanked the graduates of Course 32 for their input and contributions to his research aimed at providing “strategic options for harnessing the mining industry in Nigeria to enhance national security and development.
“We are already working with the fundamentals of your recommendations as we look forward to actualising our golden era scenario with substantial security assets supported by robust collaboration and institutional reforms,” he added.
The President praised the unique style of the National Defence College in consolidating knowledge through what he described as “a broad thematic area,” saying it has helped in finding “sustainable solutions to national security and development problems in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond”.
The President highlighted some of the significant progress made by his administration in addressing some of the challenges confronting the nation, including the implementation of the new national minimum wage which, according to him, will not only benefit civilian workers but also personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He continued, “We are also working tirelessly to curb the menace of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta. I have also tasked the Defence Headquarters and other security agencies with curbing the menace of crude oil theft as soon as possible. This will boost oil and gas production and achieve our desired economic stability.
“We are committed to creating an enabling business environment that encourages value addition in our mining sector. We are working with international partners to develop strategies that will harness this sector’s potential for national security and development.”
President Tinubu further charged the graduates of Course 32 to continue upholding the values of excellence, courage, patriotism and integrity, even as he implored them to use their newly acquired knowledge and skills to address the multifarious challenges facing Nigeria.
Earlier, the Commandant of National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu, disclosed that the 111 graduates will contribute to Nigeria’s efforts to bolster its strategic leadership across various sectors.
He said, “Our mission is to develop future strategic leaders sufficiently equipped with the requisite knowledge and analytical skills necessary to harness the instruments of national power in a dynamic defence and security environment.
“For participants of Course 32, this mission is achieved through a 9-module curriculum comprising subject areas such as research methodology, science and technology, conflict and war studies, policy formulation analysis, and strategic leadership among others”.
The Course 32 graduates were drawn from national agencies and institutions, including the Nigerian armed forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security, and several ministries.
Notably, the class also included 19 international participants from countries including India, Brazil, South Africa, and Ghana, as part of Nigeria’s commitment to fostering global cooperation in defense and security matters.
Those present at the graduation ceremony included Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy; Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle; Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS); Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS); Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, among many others.