The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has emphasized the critical need for resilience in addressing the ongoing and emerging security challenges facing Nigeria. He made this call during the Graduation Dinner and Award Night for the participants of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 31, held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The prestigious event, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), witnessed Senator Godswill Akpabio being represented by Senator Gbenga Daniel, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy.
Akpabio acknowledged the substantial investments made by the college over the past 11 months in nurturing and equipping the participants with essential strategic knowledge, despite the intellectual toil, pressure, and anxiety they experienced during their rigorous training.
He emphasized the nation’s need for the government to deliver on the promises of the Renewed Hope Agenda, as envisioned by President Bola Tinubu, while enhancing the overall quality of governance. Akpabio expressed his anticipation of receiving thoughtful and actionable solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the nation, both domestic and global.
The President of the Senate noted the shift in global security management, moving away from a primarily external defensive approach toward a holistic “whole of society” perspective. He stressed the importance of resilience in the face of evolving security dynamics that impact national security negatively.
Akpabio commended the choice of the theme for Course 31, “Building Resilience for National Security Development,” expressing hope that the solutions generated during this course would become valuable tools for defense transformation and national security enhancement in the years ahead.
Acknowledging the benefits derived from Nigeria’s defense cooperation with friendly nations worldwide, Akpabio extended gratitude to the foreign participants for their partnership with Nigeria and the National Defense College. He encouraged the international participants from 21 allied nations to be proud alumni of the college within their respective country’s armed forces.
Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu, the Commandant of the College, underscored the course’s objective of testing participants’ resilience and their ability to make challenging and complex decisions amid uncertainty, stress, and strain. He highlighted the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous nature of the strategic environment and stressed that their capacity to navigate these challenges made them strategic leaders.
Olotu emphasized the importance of teamwork, both within and beyond the confines of single-service activities. He championed the doctrine of joint service, which calls for joint planning and operations, and reminded participants of their role in upholding democracy and adhering to their respective countries’ constitutions.
Furthermore, Olotu stressed the significance of a whole-of-society approach in modern conflict, emphasizing the importance of integrated thinking, planning, and execution. He highlighted the essential role played by the civilian population in military operations and the necessity of involving various security agencies and ministries, departments, and agencies in strategic engagements.
The NAN graduation dinner, a highly anticipated event, marks the culmination of activities for the annual NDC course graduation ceremony. The rigorous 11-month program provides intensive strategic and higher defense training to officers from the rank of Colonel and above, spanning all three services, the police, and strategic government agencies.
The official graduation and induction of participants as fellows of the NDC will take place on Friday, with the President serving as the Special Guest of Honour.
