Deploy modern military hardware to tackle security challenges – DICON

By Sani Idris

Maj.-Gen. Hassan Tafida, Director-General (DG) of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), says  the security challenges facing  the nation require  the use of modern military equipment to surmount.

Tafida made the statement  in Kaduna on Wednesday while addressing participants of Senior Course 45 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji during the 2023  symposium on Defence and Security.

The theme of the symposium was ‘Imperative of a Military Industrial Complex for Effective Counter Terrorism and  Counter Insurgency Operations in Nigeria (CTCOIN)”.

He  explained that the current security challenges faced by the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the mould of terrorism, insurgency and armed banditry had compelled the need for further reforms or review of the statusquo.

The general  further advocated for  employment of modern and sophisticated military equipment by the services to combat the security challenges .

He  noted that the  symposium would broaden and expose  the participants  understanding on the need for  vibrant military industrial complex that would  be employed in combating security issues.

He explained that the participants were expected to contribute to the discussion and the  discourse in line with the topic under discussion and the  theme.

He advised them to  critique the papers being  presented, to add value as well as deepen the discussion on the topic under discussion as it affected national security and  the Armed Forces.

Earlier, the Commandant of the AFCSC, AVM Emmanuel Wonah, said the College Defence and Security Symposium was  the major package in the senior staff course curriculum.

He said It offered unique opportunities  to discuss contemporary defence and security issues affecting the nation.

He noted that the symposium was aimed at generating ideas from the critical and intuitive minds of the participants or students and discussants, to assist the services find solutions to extant and emerging security challenges.

“As we are all aware, the Federal Government, over the years, has
initiated various programmes and initiatives in the
defence and security sectors,” he said .

“These initiatives have been
largely tailored towards enhancing professionalism, to enable us reposition ourselves in the fight against terrorism
and other counter-in surgency operations.

Wonah further explained that in view of the theme, six research topics were developed for the students in groups, with each group allocated a topic for research.

He said the students had conducted their research and submitted their findings to the college in the form of service papers.

The commandant said  that in the next three days, the students would present their research findings and were, however,
expected to continue the research, refine their works and then present the executive summary of their findings to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Service Chiefs in July.

(NAN)