NSCDC Unveils Tactical Training Ground To Boost Counter-Terrorism, Protect Critical National Assets 

In a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Thursday commissioned a state-of-the-art Tactical Training Ground and Obstacle Course at its Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Commandant-General of the Corps, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, declared that continuous training remains the NSCDC’s most potent weapon against evolving security threats.

Prof Audi said the facility, is designed to prepare personnel for the realities of modern security operations amid rising concerns over terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, illegal mining, oil theft, vandalism of critical infrastructure and other emerging threats confronting the nation.

The NSCDC described the project as a strategic investment in building a modern, intelligence-driven and professionally competent Corps capable of responding effectively to Nigeria’s dynamic security landscape.

“There is no denying the fact that Corps personnel are a critical organisational asset whose collective skills, knowledge and experience are essential for modern, technology-driven and intelligence-led security operations,” he said.

According to him, the increasingly sophisticated nature of security threats demands officers who are not only physically fit but also mentally resilient, emotionally stable and tactically proficient.

“Training and retraining is therefore not optional but of operational strategic importance,” Audi declared.

He explained that the new facility would expose personnel to realistic operational scenarios designed to sharpen physical endurance, tactical manoeuvres, teamwork, leadership, confidence and operational readiness before deployment.

The Commandant General reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through intelligence-led operations, stronger inter-agency collaboration, community engagement and proactive crime prevention.

He also reiterated the Corps’ statutory responsibility for the protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI), noting that NSCDC personnel remain at the forefront of safeguarding oil and gas installations, electricity infrastructure, telecommunications facilities, rail networks and water infrastructure across the country.

The CG commended the FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, for the initiative, noting that most of the Corps’ training programmes are conducted in partnership with the Nigerian Army. “It’s not easy for the child to defeat the father,” he said of a mock security drill staged for the occasion, “but I assure them, because we are their child, we are going to learn very fast, and next time we will take the lead.”

He described the pattern as “asymmetric conflict,” drawing a comparison with Sri Lanka’s decades-long battle with the Tamil Tigers, and said the only effective response was for security agencies to work together under a framework he referred to simply as “the three C’s” — collaboration, cooperation and coordination.

Charging officers to maximise the facility, the CG urged them to “train with discipline, professionalism and integrity,” stressing that personnel serving in the nation’s capital bear enormous responsibility in protecting lives, property and strategic national assets.

Earlier, the FCT Commandant, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, described the Tactical Training Ground as a strategic response to the increasingly complex security environment within the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the project was conceived to deepen professionalism, improve operational readiness and ensure that officers are adequately prepared for contemporary security challenges.

“This facility is an investment in professionalism, preparedness and operational excellence. Every officer who trains here will be better equipped physically, mentally and tactically to protect the lives and property of residents of the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

Odumosu disclosed that the training complex would host obstacle-crossing exercises, endurance drills, tactical movement, rescue simulations, disaster response operations, search-and-rescue missions, combat fitness training and leadership development programmes.

He expressed appreciation to the Commandant -general for approving the project, providing strategic direction and releasing tactical training equipment that enhanced the quality of the facility.

Odumosu also acknowledged the support of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, for his commitment to strengthening security agencies operating in Abuja, as well as corporate organisations and development partners whose contributions made the project a reality.