The National Defence College (NDC) of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have pledged to work together towards enhancing the national power of the two countries.
The Head of Delegation, NDC UAE, Brig.-Gen. Mahdi Alahababi and Commandant, NDC Nigeria, Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, made the pledge during a visit by the UAE delegation to Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.
The Head of UAE delegation, Brig.-Gen. Alahababi said the visit was important to the Arab country towards sharing their knowledge about the two NDCs’ strategic studies and about how Nigeria conducts its business to meet its mission.
He said that UAE believed that the armed forces was the instrument for measuring national power, adding that there was need for the two nations to work together in harmony.
He added that the UAE’s indices were unique, saying that the majority of its participants were civilians who represent other sectors of government and the private sector as well.
According to him, it is part of the state elements that we collaborate and integrate together as this will bring more prosperity and stability to the states.
Responding, the Commandant of NDC, Rear Adm. Bashir, said the college had the mandate to develop future strategic leaders within the military, security agencies and strategic Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Bashir said the college also had participants from allied countries, adding that the current course had 21 allied participants from 20 countries.
He said that the security environment was becoming more complex, volatile, uncertain and ambiguous, adding that no one could go all out alone in addressing the security challenges.
Bashir said that most of the threats facing Nigeria were trans-border in nature, which he said, had reinforced the determination and desire of NDC Nigeria to get international participants with a view to having a common understanding of those threats.
According to him, the participation of other countries have come with diversified opinions and suggestions on how we can tackle the insecurity not only in Africa but the world in general.
“We also want to use this opportunity to appreciate the UAE for the role of bringing peace and stability in the Middle East and of course for the role you are playing in global commerce.
“The United Arab Emirates is a commercial hub for tourism and it has become a model for other countries to emulate.
“I just want to inform you that what we do here is to prepare future strategic leaders with the requisite knowledge and skills to harness all elements of national power, I mean security and defence environment.
“Because of that, we tried to emphasise on the whole society approach to addressing our security challenge and we also continue to see how we can collaborate more with other countries so that we can get as many international participants as possible.
“So, we get to see national security and development from the same prison.
The commandant said the college has continued to develop and update its curriculum to meet the demand of current and emerging security challenges as we as holding joint planning exercises with services war colleges.
He called on the UAE delegation to consider further strengthening the relationship between the two countries as well as between their militaries.
He said the collaboration could be in form of an exchange programme and sharing of experience that would help them to sponsor participants from the two countries to attend the colleges as well as exchange of directing staff.
The highlight of the visit was questions and answers for clarification on the activities of NDC Nigeria.
In another development, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Iran of the preparedness of Nigeria to strengthen existing relations with the Islamic republic.
He gave the assurance when the Iranian vice-president, Mr Mohsen Mansouri, paid him a courtesy visit at the ongoing UN summit on least developed nations holding in Doha.
Buhari’s media aide, Malam Garba Shehu quoted the president as saying that: “I have interacted with Iranians over many years, especially when I was Nigeria’s Petroleum Minister and I understand the country and its people.
“I, therefore, welcome the strengthening of relations between our countries as we have complementarities, especially in the energy sector.’’
The president also told his guest about the February and March elections in Nigeria and the fact that a new president would be taking over in less than three months.
He hoped that the strong relations he had built between the two countries would continue to endure in the new administration.
Earlier, the Iranian vice-president said he was glad to meet with the Nigerian leader.
He said he understood fully that the two nations with their rich human and natural resources and the attendant wealth needed to cooperate in other areas such as agriculture.
Iran, according to him, is currently facing international sanctions over nuclear and other issues.
Mansouri stressed, however, that as leaders in their respective regions, it was important for Nigeria and Iran to push for multilateralism to be the order of the day and avoid a unipolar world.
According to him, the way forward is to set up and strengthen a joint commission between the two countries at the highest levels.
Source: MARITIME First Newspaper