Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle on Friday, November 17, 2023 urged Defence Advisers and Attaches’, working in concert with the Defence Intelligence Agency, to sustain the promotion of mutual understanding, intelligence sharing as well as develop joint strategies to combat myriads of security challenges confronting the country.
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Matawalle insisted that the Defence Advisers had crucial roles to play in an increasing global enviroment where terrorism, violent extremism and cyber criminality/threats transcends borders.
He spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Annual Chief of Defence Intelligence Conference which held at the Armed Force Officers Mess Asokoro, with the theme, ‘Leveraging Defence Diplomacy and Effective Regional Collaboration for Enhanced National Security’.
Reiterating that the Defence Advisers and Attaches’ were pivotal to strenghtening of the national security apparatus, the minister advised them to recognized that security challenges transcends local and isolated incidents but are now a general phenomenon that required collaboration and coordinated response by allied partners to combat.
He disclosed that the conference would have exposed them to the importance/significance of Defence diplomacy as a powerful tool to building relationships, foistering trust and tackling collective security challenges.
He said the ministry of Defence has adopted short, medium and long term strategic plans to ensure that DIA funtions optimally to achieve its goals and objectives and sustain its contributions to national security of the country.
“In this regard, I urge you to ensure judicial utilization of resources allocated to you in view of the competition for scare national resources
He assurex that the resolutions reached at the confetence will be given appropriate attention by the ministry of Defence and other quarters to ensure speedy implementation.
In his closing remarks, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major Gen Emmanuel Parker Udiandeye will plays the DA’s and Attache’s in a better state to maximally leverage to oppurtinities in their countries of accteditation to advance Nigeria’s security interests.
While urging them to carry to carry the spirit of the conference to their various sections, Udiandeye charge them that their basic and cardinal task was the provision of intelligence for national security and development of Nigeria, and charged them not to deviate from it.
The two weeks onference which fearured lectures and experience sharing from reputable speakers including former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Eleonye Irabor (Rtd), had in attendance, Defence Advisers and Attaches’ from over 25 countries who have concurrent accreditations to several other countries in the world
