Nigeria and some African countries are synergizing on new technology innovation and reform to combat insurgency in the region.
At the 7th edition of the Nigerian Defence and Security Exhibition and Conference (NISEC) Expo 2024, the Guest Speaker, Dr. Okwori Obochi while presenting his paper said localizing Defense Contract policies can boost the defense economy when more private sectors are engaged.
His paper titled ‘Localizing Defence Contract Policies to Boost Defence Economy: Expanding Private Sector Engagement through Defence Sector Reform’ discussed how localizing Defense Contract policies can boost the defense economy.
Dr. Obochi said the concepts of defense contract policy, and defense sector reform need to be clarified to fully understand the perspective of the paper and its broader implications.
“Defense Contract policy which is essentially a blueprint that determines how military contracts are awarded to companies that are eligible to provide goods and services and the standards required for these suppliers.
“It guides everything from procurement to logistics and ensures that the military is supplied with necessary equipment and technology according to the specifications and standards while defense sector reform involves a range of changes aimed at modernizing and strengthening the defense industry to make it more effective, transparent and locally empowered, in other words, such reform would include revising policies, improving procurement processes, setting rigorous standards and broadening private sector involvement in Nigeria.”
He said these reforms are crucial to establishing a self-sufficient defense sector capable of producing high-quality military equipment and fostering domestic expertise.
He explained that Nigeria does not have the total capacity to be able to produce arms equipment and hardwares, and thus the need for collaboration with other African countries.
He said that no country is an island, they need each other to move Africa forward and Nigeria needs the synergy with other African countries to produce such military hardwares and equipment.
He noted that technology can be used to combat insecurity, especially in the north with the private sector.
The Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa represented by Deputy Controller of Correctional Service, Sakuja Yama said that the synergy between the military and other security agencies has helped the service in carrying out their duties effectively.
Nababa also said that the synergy has helped in checking offenders who at the end of their jail terms, become better persons in society for example “the service involves the military in Gombe State where insurgents are being rehabilitated through Operation Safe Corridor to change their mindset from wrong ideology so that they can be useful to the society.”
They also collaborate with the DSS as well as the military for training personnel in arms and intelligence gathering.
He believed that this Expo of collaborations will expand these organizations who are to reach out to the society in a very robust and technically oriented ways.
The Theme of the event is ‘Transforming Africa’s Defence Sector, Strengthening Capacity, and Capabilities for 21st Century National Security’ and there were representatives from Uganda, Ghana, and Egypt.
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