Resilience building is necessary at all levels, from individuals to systemic levels. The national strategic framework must seek to incorporate the households, communities, businesses, academia as well as other experts and security services among others.
The Minister of Defence Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) said this on Tuesday 25th October 2022 at the inauguration ceremony and Lecture for NDC Course 31, 116 participants, including 21 international participants from 20 friendly countries within and outside Africa with the theme "BUILDING A RESILIENT ECONOMY IN THE CONTEMPORARY SECURITY ENVIRONMENT: STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR NIGERIA" at National Defence College, Abuja.
Defence minister noted that the inauguration lecture, which is one of the activities lined up to kick start the Course, is very relevant at this period when the impact of disasters, climate change, conflicts and fragility are increasing across the world.
He said, building resilience for risks that may threaten national security, economic prosperity and societal wellbeing is a critical function of government and has remained a major priority of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking further on the focus of inaugural lecture, the defence minister noted that the Federal Government has over time emphasized on the link between combating corruption and improvement in economic performance; creating a social investment programme dedicated to reducing youth unemployment; significantly increasing power supply; and providing enhanced support for agricultural production with the twin objectives of reducing food import and achieving self-sufficiency in certain crops.
He stressed that these policies implemented by the government were critical and timely to alleviate the impact of the recession on the economy and to create additional fiscal space.
Defence minister added that in responding to the 21st Century risks landscape calls for an integrated approach that can better anticipate global shocks and emerging risks, while seizing opportunities from existing and new innovations.
He said participants of National Defence College Course 31 participation in the Course will further strengthen the relationship between countries.
The Guest Speaker,the Chairman Economic Growth and Development Centre, Professor Magnus Lekara Kpakol earlier in his lecture urged government on Instantaneous Resilience, intentional in promoting the business sector, which will attract investors through appropriate policy frameworks. Ensure fiscal buffers and strong financial institutions, Produce well trained leaders Dynamic Resilience, and offer good Leadership, Rule of Law Institutions, and encourage adoption of Technology and Industrialization.
Prof Magnus Kpakol who described resilience as the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change, also defined economic resilience as the ability of an economy to withstand a shock and recover quickly to potential after it falls into recession.
Lecturing further on resilience, Prof Magnus Kpakol asked reason why government liberally share crude oil proceeds, saying, an economy is diversified when government revenue and export receipts are not disproportionately generated across the various sectors of the economy.
On Household Resilience, Prof Magnus Kpakol said, Instantaneous Resilience which is human Capital Development through training, Saving and investments, Discipline and Partnerships and Migration. And for a dynamic Resilience, he opined that good Leadership with discipline and adequate cash flow can give a dynamic resilience.
In his remarks, the National Defence College Commandant Rear Admiral Murtala Mormoni Bashir said participants of Course 31, in the course of their stay in the College, will be guided by the corevalues of the College namely Excellence, Courage, Patriotism and Integrity to improve thier knowledge skills, aptitudes and attitudes for operational and strategic level military and non military engagements in both national and international assignments.
The Commandant emphasized that the course will be demanding, and rigorous, they will be faced with a variety of conceptual, hypothetical, real and simulated strategic level challenges for which there are no template solutions, and they will thus be required to engage in long study and deep thought to challenge their assumptions on a number of security, defence and related subjects.
He added that they will also be required to interrogate national policies, strategies, operations, resource management and success criteria on a variety of related subjects.
"In keeping with the multi-dimensional nature of security and defence, participants will be groomed in a number of thematic areas such as the state and socio-political environment, economy and finance, science and technology, international and regional affairs, conflict and war studies, Peace Support Operations and national crisis management.
"These are geared to develop the art and science of statecraftand strategy for effective national security and defence management. In line with these, you would be the centre of attention in the College. It is only fitting therefore that I use this opportunity to implore you to remain focused throughout the Course", he noted.
SpyeTV News reports that, the National Defence College consequently announced the new College Motto as Excellence, Courage, Patriotism and Integrity. The College also unveiled a new Crest and2nd Edition of NDC Magazine.
The Course 31, has 116 participants comprising 68 officers from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, 27 participants from the Nigeria Police, other security agencies and strategic MDAS, 21 international participants from 20 different centres. The countries represented are Bangladesh, Benin Republic, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia and Ghana. Others are India, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
The National Defence College has trained senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Nigeria Police and other security agencies and strategic Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including senior military officers from friendly nations so that they can perform optimally at the operational and strategic level of governance. Pertinently, in 30 years, the College has graduated 2,649 participants. This number comprises 2,370 Nigerians and 276 from other friendly nations.
The College also offers other stimulating intellectual and professional training programmes that have earned it official recognition from the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Indeed, the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies of the National Defence College Nigeria is the ECOWAS designated Centre of Excellence for strategic level Peace Support Operations (PSO) training.