On Thursday, a Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course began in Abuja to investigate research-based solutions to Nigeria’s defense and security concerns.
The training, administered by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), was created as part of a comprehensive strategy to resolving security concerns in the country, according to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.
He stated that as security today encompasses all elements of human endeavor, problems such as food and physical security, poverty, and employment must be given appropriate consideration. As a result, Lagbaja stated that the participants will investigate and analyze government policies and operations and how they affect national security.
“The essence of having a composite group on the course is to enrich the class discussions through cross fertilisation of ideas and knowledge, thereby adding value to the course.
“The course is about imparting knowledge in different spheres of human activities.
“As strategic leaders in your respective services and agencies, knowledge is crucial to your performance and this is not about a specific issue or discipline but an understanding of all human endeavours.
“It must never be forgotten that leadership builds structures based on the dynamics of global developmental trends in both immediate and remote environments,” he added.
Lagbaja said it was a conscious and viable foundation for cooperation amongst the participants which would strengthen inter-agency cooperation now and in the future to achieve better performance in joint activities.
In his remarks, Amb. Babagana Kingibe, said management of national security at all levels require thorough grasp of policy objectives and challenges, as well as synergy among security and intelligence agencies.
Kingibe said the participants, being operational level officers, require strong synergy, cooperation and understanding of their individual roles. According to him, national security issues is not a one agency endeavour, but for everybody to understand what the policy objectives and their roles in achieving the objectives.
“That is why it is always important to have courses like this where strategic management levels officers of all the agencies come together, share ideas and develop a well synergised policy,” he said.
The Director-General of NARC, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, said the course was aimed at bringing together officers from various security agencies and stakeholders to share ideas and understand each other’s roles.
Wahab said the course was also designed to broaden their knowledge on policy objectives and formulating appropriate strategies to achieve set goals.
He said the course would run for 11 months with participants drawn from the military, Department of State Service, the Police, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) amongst others.
