No Single Service, Agency Can Solve Nigeria’s Security Challenges – Minister

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd), has said no single service or security agency can solve Nigeria’s security challenges alone.

He stated this in his remarks at the inaugural lecture of the Defence Headquarters Joint Doctrine and Welfare Centre in Abuja.

Musa said effective joint doctrine serves as the intellectual foundation on which inter-operability, coordination and operational success are built.

He said, “No single individual and no single service can do it alone. It is a whole of society and a whole of government approach.
“The Army secures the ground, the Navy guards our waterways and the Air Force provides the indispensable air power.
“Other security agencies also play their part, including citizens, who somehow are the fuel in which the terrorists, the bandits, the criminals flow in.”

The minister noted that it is jointness that turns this individual strength into a single overwhelming force, adding that the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre signifies Nigeria’s determination “to institutionalise the way we think, plan and fight as a unified force.”

Musa said the establishment of the centre in July last year was aimed at fostering an environment of continuous learning, critical thinking and inter-service dialogue.
“It should be the place where we 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.
“This therefore, should be a new chapter in our military history, where mutual effort, shared understanding and doctrinal clarity must be our guiding principles,” he said.

He disclosed that the inaugural lecture is intended to develop a unified approach to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
” 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, it sets the tone for institutionalising the culture of doctrinal development, continuous learning and strategic adaptability within the armed forces of Nigeria,” he said.

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.

CDS further noted that the military will work with neighbouring countries to ensure that the issue is resolved.
“One very cardinal thing that got me thinking was the issue of border security.

“The immigration has been doing a lot to see that issue is resolved. But we are going to do our best working with contagious countries to ensure that the issue is resolved,” he said.