On Monday, December 5, 2022, members of Team 5 of the National Defence College (NDC) course 31 embacked on a study tour in Oyo State. The team visited Headquarters 2 Division Nigerian Army led by Air Commodore SA Madaki.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army Major General AS Chinade described the study tour’s theme, “Building Socio-Economic Resilience in the Contemporary Security Environment: The Oyo State in Perspective,” as particularly pertinent in light of the country’s current security challenges, including insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry.
Although achieving meaningful socioeconomic development is the government’s primary goal, the GOC was represented by the Chief Of Staff 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ismail Oloyede. He stated that despite the threats to citizen safety and property that currently exist, local businesses are discouraged, foreign investments are scared off, and it also hurts the economy.
He challenged the participants to consider factors like social advancements, a holistic approach to society, good governance, and national cohesion as future strategic leaders, noting that these factors if carefully applied, could be the much-needed solution for enhancing national security and well-being, not only within the Army, but the country at large.
According to Brigadier General Oloyede, Nigeria is currently experiencing more complex security challenges than in the past, which necessitates the development of a strong, dynamic, proactive national security architecture and infrastructure that can respond in real-time to these evolving threats. To enhance socioeconomic resilience under the current global security concerns, he encouraged the participants to analyze this and other pertinent instruments.
Highlights of the visit included a paper presentation on the study tour’s theme, “Building Socio-Economic Resilience in the Contemporary Security Environment: The Oyo State in Perspective,” an interactive session, the presentation of mementoes, and a group photo by Colonel Julius Ogbobe, the Division’s Deputy Chief of Staff Operations.
