Abuja – The Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Dan-Ali, on Monday emphasised the need for Nigeria to adjust its National Defence Strategy to address emerging threats of terrorism and other violent crimes.
Dan-Ali said this at the opening of the 2015 Conference of Defence Advisers and Attaches in Abuja.
He said trends in the global security sector and the challenge posed by Boko Haram had made it more expedient for Nigeria and her allies to close ranks to address such challenges.
He said Nigeria’s Defence Attaches and Advisers were saddled with the responsibility of supporting the nation to address the challenges through robust engagement with their host countries’ intelligence sector.
“The conference presents an avenue for you to assess your performance and set an agenda for Nigeria’s national security direction.
“The current security challenges in the country require continuous adjustment of our national security strategies to contain the emerging threats that they pose to our collective existence.
“This demand leaves a huge burden on our intelligence community which is expected to constantly make inputs into the military’s efforts to re-strategise in the face of unending threats to security,’’ the minister said.
He said the present administration had made efforts to reposition military operations in order to effectively end the wanton destruction of lives and property in parts of the North-East.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, said the conference would provide platform for the Defence Advisers to brainstorm on the nation’s response to terrorism.
Morgan said that the theme of the conference, “Enhancing the Defence Attache System Toward Sustainable National Security in Nigeria’’, was selected in conformity with the present challenge facing the country.
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He said the posture of the Defence Attaché system would help to determine whether or not Nigeria would be able to sustain existing relationships with its allies across the world.
“Our Defence Attaché network is key to supporting our national defence procurement operations; that is why the agency is refocusing its operations and entire system to conform with emerging needs and challenges.
“We have also emphasised the need for Nigeria to acquire and deploy superior information strategies to win the counter-insurgency operation,’’ the CDI said.
He said the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) was on course in supporting the nation’s security network with the necessary intelligence information needed to strengthen the nation’s fight against emerging crimes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, led Service Chiefs, other senior military officers and management of the Ministry of Defence to the opening session of the conference. (NAN)