The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has stated that it would be difficult for the security agencies to provide adequate security in the country without the active participation of the citizenry.
He made the statement in a lecture delivered in Ibadan on his behalf by the General Officer Commanding 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna G. Onubogu.
It was the First Strategic Personality Lecture of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan.
The lecture was entitled “Combating an Adversay Without Boundaries: The Need to Implement a Whole-of-Society-Approach to Nigeria’s National Security.”
The Chief of Army Staff identified security challenges to Nigeria’s existence as insurgency, separatist agitations, terrorism and violent extremism; abduction and kidnapping; farmers and herders conflicts; transnational organized and cyber crimes; piracy, sea robbery, and crude oil related threats; unemployment and poverty; and fake news, misinformation and the social media.
Lagbaja highlighted the many efforts/operations that were conducted but noted that the desired state of security has not been achieved.
He, therefore, called for collaboration among the stakeholders; security awareness and education; respect for the rule of law; active performance of the local governments; the use of technology; understanding of the supremacy of national interest; and a clear definition of the internal security concept.
He concluded that implementing a whole-of-society approach involves leveraging the strength of every stakeholder to ensure a cohesive and coordinated response to threats.
He said that to achieve this, there must be enhanced communication, cooperation, and trust among the different sectors while also ensuring that efforts are aligned with national interests and other security objectives.
The UI Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, assured the Nigerian Army of the support and commitment of the institution to the whole of society strategy because of its potential to quickly bring peace and development.
He said that the IPSS would continue to play active roles in conflict management at the grassroots, in communities, and in other fora to promote peaceful co-existence in Nigeria as a whole through training, research, capacity building and other means of knowledge sharing and impartation.
The Chairman of the lecture, Lt Gen Lamidi O. Adeosun, a former Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force N’djamena, commended the Nigerian Army for ensuring security.
He said our soldiers deserve respect, accolades, and honour.
He urged the soldiers not to be daunted, saying that they are very important to the continued existence of Nigeria as a corporate entity.
Adeosun said there should be no separation of the Armed Forces from the civilians.
He noted that security challenges have no demarcation, adding that demarcation causes collateral damage from which both sides would suffer.
The Director of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies and Head, Department of Peace Security and Humanitarian Studies, Professor Ruth Adio-Moses, said the lecture series is an uncommon public platform particularly created to enable frontline actors to dissect contemporary national issues of defence, national security, sustainable peace and development as well as humanitarian and disaster risk management.
She said the Institute recognises that national security is not solely the responsibility of the military or law enforcement agencies but rather, it is a collective effort of every citizen, community, and sector.
