COAS Declares Open 2022 Symposium on Nigerian Civil War for AWCN Course 6/2022; Harps on Development of capacity for Defence Equipment Production.

By
Oghenahogie Oshoko
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The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya on Wednesday flagged off the 2022 Symposium on the Nigerian Civil War for participants of Army War College Course 6 with a disclosure that for any nation to adequately contain a volatile, uncertain, and complex security environment, the nation must develop capacity for defence equipment production in order to drastically reduce dependence on foreign defence procurement
 
 
Represented by the Director, Training Army Headquarters, Maj Gen Oluyemi Olatoye, the COAS disclosed that the key objective of this year’s symposium which is the third edition to be organized by the College is to improve Professional Military Education and provide forum for experts to deliver research findings on selected occurrences during the Nigerian Civil War.
 
 
Gen Yahaya noted that, developing capacity for defence production will afford the nation the capacity to design and produce equipment required to counter its own peculiar security challenge at any point in time.
 
 
He stated that the inadequacy and risks of over dependence on equipment procurement was aptly brought out during the Nigerian Civil War as Nigeria had to go searching for weapons and equipment from all parts of the world. 
“This of course resulted in unnecessary prolongation of the crisis with attendant tolls on lives, property and finances”.
 
 
Furthermore, he disclosed that the outcome of the symposium will contribute immensely to the numerous successes gallant troops are recording in all theatres of operation due to the caliber of resource persons to deliver the 2 papers for the symposium.
 

Earlier, the Commandant Army War College Nigeria, Major General Bamidele Alabi said, the theme of this year’s symposium is “Defence Production and Defence Procurement in the Nigerian Civil War: Lessons for Operational Level Commanders”.

“For you the participants of Army War Course 6/2022, you must use this singular opportunity to learn as much as you can and apply same during your stay in the College and all through your career.

 

“Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is said that nationhood can either be forged in the furnace of war or by peaceful means” he said.

During an interview with newsmen, one of the resource persons Dr Joel Ebute, a Faculty Member of Army War College Nigeria said his lecturevtitled “Defence Production and Procurement in Nigerian Civil War is to discuss next level for operational level Commanders.

He noted that, during the Nigerian Civil War, there were embargos, there were little efforts by the Nigerian forces and Biafra forces in terms of Defence production and procurement but the lesson learnt in the past needed to be discussed in other to be able to enhance defence production in the current security situation Nigeria is facing.

He said, “War is inevitable, hence we need to prepare for different productions. To produce enough arms and ammunitions.

On his part, Prof. Husseini Jibrin, a Senior Lecturer at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna explained that, his lecture will expose the operational Commanders to use of historical knowledge to apply in their operational activities.

“As international peace keepers, acquiring the knowledge about the Nigerian Civil War, they will be able to apply it in their operational areas.

“In the case of Nigeria, as a very young nation barely 7 years after independence, we had the sad experience of a violent civil war which lasted from June 1967 to January 1970.

“Sad as it may be, the study of the Nigerian Ciwil War (NCW) has huge potentials to bring out valuable lessons that could contribute in addressing the current security challenges confronting our nation”.

Participants at the symposium were drawn from the academia, members of the Armed Forces, Para-military, International Military Assistance Partners, National and International non-governmental organizations, members of the Nigerian Legion amongst others. 

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