Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has emphasised the necessity of effective intelligence gathering and sharing between security services and the general public in driving successful military operations.

Lagbaje made the remarks during the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 5/2022 graduation ceremony on Friday in Abuja.

He stated that the civilian population has always contributed to any conflict and crisis management effort.

The COAS also stated that collaboration from the greater Nigerian society, particularly those living in frontline villages where banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and other violent crimes have occurred, was essential.

According to him, receiving this information from them will provide the military with leverage to act and combat the violence.

“Intelligence is the driving force behind every military operation, but the military has its own sources, and these sources are dispersed, sometimes even into rural areas.”

“As a result, we need everyone’s help to combat the security challenges that our country faces,” he stated.

Lagbaja stated that the training was inspired by the Nigerian army’s aim to further improve its human capability, which arose from the necessity to fill a notable gap in the service’s echelon of senior commanders.

He went on to say that the course’s aims were to improve participants’ knowledge, skills, and competences so that they could better plan, implement, and assess policies and manage people and material resources in the army and any other organisation.

According to him, the quest to improve the human capacity of the Nigerian army’s highest echelon and expand it to our sister services and other like-minded security organisations is in line with global trends.

He stated that capacity development was critical for any organisation with a growth ambition or aspiration to positively impact the ever-changing contemporary environment.

“I am pleased to observe that, despite the fact that the concept for this course was conceived several years before I became Chief of Army Staff.

“It absolutely coincides with my command philosophy, which is “To Transform the Nigerian Army into a Well-Trained, Equipped, and Highly Motivated Force Towards Achieving our Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint Environment,” he said.

According to the COAS, the curriculum is intended to awaken participants’ minds to the reality of today’s ever-changing contemporary environment.

He stated that the course will assist bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and solid field experiences they had collected over the years.

“I believe you have been exposed to the current strategic management and policy formulation methods that effectively harness and optimise available human and material resources to achieve organisational objectives efficiently.”

“Simply put, this programme has given you the tool for adaptation and thinking outside the box,” he continued.

Former Chief of Army Staff and NARC Board of Trustees member retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazau stated that interagency collaboration is critical in every mission.

Dambazau stated that security concerns must be addressed from many perspectives, and that each expert must bring something to the table based on expertise and experience.

He stated that the security sector was designed in such a way that no security agency could successfully and efficiently deal with security concerns without the assistance of other members of the sector.

The Director-General of NARC, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, congratulated the participating services and agencies on the successful completion of the 11-month training, which was the fifth iteration.

Wahab stated that the initiative was aimed to look at government policies and build capacity to solve the nation’s challenges, as well as look at security from a non-kinetic perspective, focusing on poverty and youth involvement.

He stated that participants went on both local and global research tours in order to have an influence, engage others, and reach individuals who are vulnerable to violence.

According to him, one of the things the centre emphasises is having a shifting perspective on what they can do to make better decisions and to be able to find solutions to the nation’s problems rather than waiting for individuals from outside.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the training featured 31 participants in the ranks of Brigadier General and above from the army, as well as equivalents from other security agencies and MDAs.

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) granted the participants a Master of Strategic Studies degree. (NAN)