The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Adm. James Okosun, has urged Nigeria to confront emerging hybrid security threats with fresh and innovative strategies.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the maiden Strategic Defence and Security Management Course (DSMC-SL1) organised by the college’s Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS), Okosun, represented by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies, Maj.-Gen. Kelvin Ukandu warned that a complex mix of challenges now shapes the nation’s security environment.
He identified violent extremism, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cyberattacks, and climate-related risks as key elements of these hybrid threats, stressing that they require collective action, collaboration, strong leadership, and new ideas in defence and security management.
Okosun described the course as timely and designed to enhance senior officers’ and professionals’ knowledge and leadership skills drawn from the Armed Forces, security agencies, and partner institutions. He reminded participants of their critical role in shaping national security policies and defence strategies, urging them to use the training to become agents of positive change.
The NDC commandant commended the Centre and the Department of Defence and Security Studies (DDSS) for organising the programme and praised the resource persons for helping to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Also speaking, the Provost of CSRS, Prof. Adam Ahmed, explained that the DSMC is one of the Centre’s flagship initiatives aimed at equipping senior leaders with foresight and resilience. He emphasised that conflicts cannot be solved by force alone, highlighting the importance of mediation, engagement, and other non-kinetic approaches.
Ahmed cautioned that extremist groups across Africa are evolving rapidly, raising concerns that the continent could become a future epicentre of global conflict. He urged participants to anticipate, adapt, and respond with creativity, noting that the insights gained from the course should strengthen both their institutions and Nigeria’s overall security framework.