Technology the world over remains a vital component of the solution to asymmetric challenges the world faces in contemporary dispensation. In retrospect it has been observed that in the last few decades the market forces essentially dictate the growth of technology and subsequently military technologists take a note of it and then modify it for militaristic purpose to win asymmetric warfare. There lies the nexus between technology, national security and development in the military.

 

COMMANDANT NDC NIGERIA REAR ADMIRAL ADENIYI OSINOWO PRESENTING A SOUVENIR

TO THE VICE PRESIDENT NDU BEIJING CHINA MAJOR GENERAL ZHOA WENHUA

DURING THE GEO-STRATEGIC STUDY TOUR TO CHINA

 

 

Advertently, Nigeria needs to continue to key into the emerging technologies to combat security challenges such as Boko Haram, headsmen attack, kidnapping, militancy, piracy, sea robbery and other sundry crimes. This is because Nigeria faces a broad and complex array of challenges to its national security. These and many other factors have informed the National Defence College for a fact finding mission to proffer solution to some of the emerging security threats, owing to the fact that technology supports a number of military functions.

 

The 2018 Geo-Strategic World Study Tour for Participants of NDC Course 26 to selected countries across the globe took place from 12-26 May 2018. A total of 20 countries were visited with each of the 10 Teams visiting 2 countries within the selected countries for the period of the tour. The selected 10 countries for the first segment includes; Angola, Australia, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, India. Others are Jordan, South Korea, Tunisia and Venezuela. While the selected 10 countries for the second segment of the tour includes, Brunei, China, Cuba, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland. Others are Morocco, Nepal, Trinidad & Tabago and Turkey. The study tour is part of the College’s academic schedule to evaluate transnational and international factors that shape policy and strategy in selected regions. Hence divergent academic themes were assigned to each syndicate for the derivable economic, social, political and technological benefits to the nation. The tour was executed to achieve the objectives of the theoretical teachings of Block 6, which is international affairs and regional studies including world study tour. A total of 136 participants of the National Defence College Course 26 which include 16 allied Participants that cut across Asia, Europe and part of Africa, Faculty Members, administrative staff and the Commandant, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo embarked on the 2018 Geo-Strategic World Study Tour.

 

Relatively, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Osinowo paid a courtesy call on the Commandant National Defence College India, Vice Admiral Srikant in the latter’s office. Admiral Srikant asserted that adversaries also seek technological enabled capabilities for their own purposes and sometimes they are influenced by demonstrations that a given technology has proven in practice. He further emphasized that most often these technologies are acquired by adverse state actors to support terrorists for selfish reasons. Therefore it becomes expedient for the fact finding mission of participants of Course 26 to proffer solution that will negate, dampen or puncture the centre of gravity of the adversaries that have embraced technology in committing insurgency and criminalities. This will serve as prophylactic measures in combating insurgency and terrorism in the nation’s security architecture. Paradoxically, these set of criminals are against western education and technology but yet embrace technology for mass destruction. The Commandant, National Defence College, Rear Admiral Osinowo in his response said, considering the increasing dependence of adversaries on computer and communication technology in asymmetric warfare. He said there is the need to inculcate an increased cyber weapons which provide a potentially important means by which adversaries cyber systems can be destroyed, degraded, disrupted, denied and usurped.

 

COMMANDANT NDC NIGERIA REAR ADMIRAL ADENIYI OSINOWO PRESENTING A SOUVENIR TO

THE COMMANDANT NDC INDIA VICE ADMIRAL SRIKANT DURING THE GEO-STRATEGIC STUDY TOUR TO INDIA

 

Consequently, the Nigerian Ambassador to India, Major General Chris Eze (rtd) played host to the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo and National Defence College Course 26 Participants during the 2018 Geo-Strategic Study Tour to India. Also worthy of note was the Commandant’s courtesy call on the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff India, Vice Admiral Ashok Kumar. The duo had pleasantries where issues of mutual interest between the 2 countries and Navies were discussed.

 

Similarly, the Commandant paid a courtesy call on the Vice President National Defence University Beijing China, Major General Zhoa Wenhua. He briefed the Commandant National Defence College Nigeria that the People Liberation Force (PLA), formerly the Second Artillery Corps is the strategic and the tactical force of the People’s Republic of China. He reiterated that the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is a component part of the PLA and controls the nation’s arsenal of land ballistic missiles. In furtherance, he said the military arm was established on 1 July 1966 and made its first public appearance on 1 October 1984 and that the headquarters for operations is located at Qingbe, Beojing.

 

The General equally briefed the Admiral that in total, China is estimated to be in possession of 260 nuclear warheads with a number of them active and ready to deploy. He added that China has the largest land-based missile arsenal in the world and has the potential to destroy targets even without nuclear warheads. Major General Zhao, the Vice President National Defence University Beijing described the PLARF as China’s core force for strategic deterrence and a strategic arsenal for China’s position as a major power and an important cornerstone for defending national security. He reiterated that PLARF has used a variety of channels including military parades, official media reports, social media and even music video to highlight its strategic deterrence and conventional precision strike capabilities.

 

The Nigerian political and military elites should consider attaching importance to Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) by modernizing its technological capabilities in support of military operation for conventional deterrence and cyber warfare operations especially in the North East operations. Also, the Nigerian government should conduct innovations in weaponry and equipment by reliance on research, science and technology for reliability and effectiveness of the Nigerian armed forces. Nigerian government need to consider the need to invest in maintaining and modernizing its weaponry arsenal as well as increasing its multidimensional approach in combating the on-going asymmetric warfare in the North East. These proposed plans will pose strategic challenges to the adversaries in executing acts of wanton destruction, thereby enhancing the countries security architecture.  

 

In another development, the Commandant National Defence College Nigeria, Rear Admiral Osinowo paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Beijing China, Ambassador Usman Aliyu. He briefed the Commandant and the participants of National Defence College course 26 that visited China, that China announced it would invest $360 billion in renewable energy by 2020. He also asserted that Chinese authorities reported in March 2017 that the country was already exceeding official targets for energy efficiency. He added that for the period he has been in China, electricity supply has not failed and if for any reason there is power surge you would be notified many months before the occurrence and it would not last more than 5 minutes. Nigeria could toy same effort to achieve electricity sufficiency distribution in order to address incessant electricity supply in the country. Above all, the 2018 Geo-Strategic World StudyTour was a total success.

 

THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT AND DIRECTOR OF STUDIES PRESENTING A SOUVENIR

DURING THE GEO-STRATEGIC WORLD STUDY TOUR TO BRAZIL

 

 

 

 

GROUP PHOTOGRAPH MARKING THE 2018 GEO-STRATEGIC STUDY TOUR TO INDIA

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROUP PHOTOGRAPH MARKING THE 2018 GEO-STRATEGIC STUDY TOUR TO INDIA