The participants of Team 5 of the National Defence College (NDC) course 31 on National Study tour of Oyo State, led by Air Commodore SA Madaki Monday 5 December 2022 visited Headquarters 2 Division Nigerian Army.
In his address to the participants the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army Major General AS Chinade described the theme of the study tour “Building Socio-Economic Resilience in the Contemporary Security Environment: The Oyo State in Perspective” as very apt considering the contemporary security challenges of insurgency, kidnapping and banditry amongst others as currently witnessed in the country.
The GOC represented by the Chief Of Staff 2 Division Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ismail Oloyede said although peace and security are the core aim and objective of the government, the contemporary security challenges have continued to remain the major setback to achieving meaningful socio-economic development, as well as pose threats to the lives and properties of citizens, thereby discouraging local businesses, scares away foreign investments and also impacting adversely on the image of the country.
He charged the participants as future strategic leaders to interrogate parameters such as social developments, a holistic society approach, good governance and national cohesion which are viable pillars of resilience building, noting that if carefully employed could be the much needed panacea for improving the security of lives and well-being of the population.
Brigadier General Oloyede revealed that the nature of security challenges facing Nigeria today was more complex than in the past, therefore it calls for a robust, dynamic, proactive, national security framework and infrastructure capable of dealing with these growing threats in real time. He enjoined the participants to analyse this and other relevant instruments to proffer lasting strategies to building socio-economic resilience under the prevailing contemporary security challenges from the perspective of Oyo State.
Highlights of the visit included a paper presentation on the theme of the study tour “Building Socio-Economic Resilience in the Contemporary Security Environment: The Oyo State in Perspective” by the Division’s Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Colonel Julius Ogbobe, interactive session, presentation of souvenirs and group photograph.
