The Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has emphasized the significance of Defence Diplomacy and regional collaboration within the framework of International law for bolstering national security during the opening ceremony of the CHIEF OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE Annual Conference 2023 in Abuja.
This was contained in a release made available to newsmen by the Director of Press and PR of the Ministry of Defence Henshaw Ogubike,mnipr.
He said the Defence Attache system is a veritable Defence Management for solving many problems of a nation, stressing that Nigeria must rise to the occasion and lead the way in these efforts.
“In doing so, I urge you, the participants to respect principle of sovereign equality and non- interference in internal affairs of other nations. You must emphasize cooperation rather that competition and act within the confines of international law,” he charged them.
Furthermore on Diplomacy, he said that for any country’s defence strategy to succeed, it must recognize the critical role of diplomacy in reducing military risks as well as fostering shared understanding for enhanced national security.Badaru therefore urged the Defence Attache / Advisers who are the participants of the conference to pay attention to the global and regional challenges as diplomats and continue to positively represent the DIA, the Ministry of Defence and the nation in general.
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Muhammed Bello Matawalle MON, in his address encouraged participants to use the conference to develop strategies enhancing security, politics, economics, and diplomacy efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He urged Defence Attaches/Advisers to build strong relationships with host countries’ Defense establishments.In his remarks the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, outlined the annual conference’s objective as a platform to review progress, address challenges, and strategize for the future,
He assured continued government efforts in maintaining a robust Defence Management and security apparatus.Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni, stressed the importance of implementing recommendations from the previous year’s conference to address conflicts and sustain peace, as the nation is witnessing disturbing conflicts of different magnitude from the North East, North West and South East to other African Countries.
He called on Defence Attaches to contribute to Defence Diplomacy Management for intelligence gathering and sharing.Earlier the CHIEF OF DEFENCE INTELLIGENCE, Major General EAP Undiandeye, highlighted the 2023 conference theme, “Leveraging Defence Diplomacy and Effective Regional Collaboration for Enhanced National Security,” in response to West African and African developments.
He said that the Military onslaught against insurgents is evident in the massive surrender of the Boko Haram, Islamic State West African Province Terrorists and the containment of the Lake Chad Region.”Similarly, intensified anti banditry operations in the North West and North Central Zones are yielding the desired results,” he said.
The CDI said that there is the need to sustain the collaborative efforts at all levels of Defence diplomacy in order to consolidate the records gained.He called on the Defence Advisers and Attaches to live up to expectations saying that their roles were key in ensuring effective regional collaboration in order to strengthen mechanisms to address identified threats.
