President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged the Nigerian Armed Forces to continue to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity against all threats.
The President has also said that, with the quality of training at the Nigeria Defence Academy Kaduna, the Nigerian military is capable of bringing to an end all acts of banditry, insurgency, and criminality affecting the country.
Speaking at an event marking the Diamond Jubilee of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna on Saturday, the President assured the military of his administration’s commitment to its welfare as well as unwavering support in the discharge of its duties.
The President emphasised that the relative peace secured by the Nigerian Armed Forces is worth celebrating; hence, the fight against insecurity is not over until all territories belonging to Nigeria are recovered.
Commending the armed forces for their dedication to duty and sacrifices for the nation, President Tinubu reiterated the urgency to upscale the fight against insecurity.
According to him, “Let me reiterate the urgency to upscale the fight against insecurity, which has robbed us of peace and progress. While the relative peace you have been able to secure is worth celebrating, you must remember that the war is not yet over until every parcel of land held by the enemy is flying the flag of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Nigerian leader also urged the armed forces to continue to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity against all threats, commending them for their dedication to duty and sacrifices for the nation.
President Tinubu highlighted some of the milestones recorded during the transformation of the NDA, including the subsequent addition and training of Air Force cadets, the successful reunification of the country after the Civil War in 1967, as well as the various short-service military training programmes instituted to fill the manpower needs caused by the Civil War.
The President lauded the upgrade of the NDA from a non-degree-awarding institution to a full-fledged degree-awarding university in 1985, thereby phasing out the Nigerian Defence Academy Certificate of Education.
“The government is also pleased to note that the curriculum approved by the National Universities Commission, the regulatory body is sufficiently robust and broad-based to enable the cadets to acquire the knowledge, skills, values, character, and discipline required for effective and efficient service in the Nigerian Armed Forces in peacetime and in times of crises.
“I understand that other giants’ strides recorded in the NDA include the establishment of post-graduate programmes and the creation of research centres and centres of excellence to facilitate research and enable cross-fertilization of ideas.
“The consistent academic calendar devoid of industrial disputes and strikes should make the NDA postgraduate school an institution of first choice not only for Nigerian students but also for students across the globe. I, therefore, charge the academic staff, both military and non-military, to transform the NDA into ‘Nigeria’s Silicon Valley,’ a hub for startups where ideas are not only incubated but also actualized,” the President said.
President Tinubu commended the past and present leadership of the NDA for the quality of military and academic training, which has continued to attract participation from other African nations.
“Let me also add that although the war against the enemies of Nigeria is not over, it is fair to state that relative peace has been recorded across the major flash points. These successes have come at a price for the government and the populace. We remember our fallen heroes and those out in the trenches for the sake of our fatherland. Let us also celebrate their resilience and sacrifice at this diamond jubilee.
“I urge you to continue to play your constitutional role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria, our fatherland. You must shun any acts that are inimical to the well-being of our nation and acts that can destroy the gains of democracy that we have enjoyed in the last 20 years.
“The government is fully aware of the service and sacrifices that members of the Nigerian Armed Forces have continued to render across the length and breadth of this country, especially in the face of daunting challenges. We, as a government, will continue to accord priority to the needs of the armed forces to enable the military to play its constitutional role without let or hindrance.
The NDA was established about six decades ago, on February 5, 1964. The institution has undergone various stages of transformation in its quest to fulfil its mandate of training officers for the Nigerian Armed Forces. Before obtaining independence from Britain, Nigeria’s first set of officers were trained in Ghana and subsequently at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England. But by January 1964, four years after independence, the first batch of 64 army and navy cadets commenced training at the NDA.
The President has since returned to Abuja after attending the events marking the Diamond Jubilee of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna State on Saturday.
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