Buhari, who was special guest at the graduation ceremony of
the National Defence College, described as unacceptable, Nigeria's current
over-dependence on other countries for critical military equipment and
logistics.
Nigeria, Buhari said, must evolve viable mechanisms for
near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production
complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies.
"The Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up
clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest Military Industrial
Complex for Nigeria. In this regard, it is to liaise with other strategic MDAs
and industries to re-engineer the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria
(DICON) to meet national military hardware and logistics requirements,"
the President said.
President Buhari told the gathering that his administration
had, since its assumption of office, reviewed the nature and character of
Nigeria's security threats and challenges.
"We recognized first and foremost, the external
dimensions of these threats and the need for international cooperation and
common security mechanisms to tackle them," the President said.
President Buhari added that in the light of this
realization, his Administration was "convinced that the best approach was
to work within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) to
mobilize a collective regional effort in the fight against terrorism and
insurgency.
The Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on Media
and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, also said the President urged the graduates
and officers and men of the Armed Forces to work harder to win the war against
Boko Haram, terrorism and insurgency.
"We must apply a comprehensive strategy and coordinate
all elements of national power against terrorism and insurgency; we must show
result oriented leadership at all levels of military Command; we must set up an
optimal organization to manage and sustain operational performance; and we must
show confidence and winning mentality," Buhari said.
The President assured that the Federal Government under his
leadership will strive to meet the operational, logistic, training and welfare
requirements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to ameliorating the
hardships of people living in areas most affected by insurgency and terrorism.
"We have the will, resolve and conviction to apply a
comprehensive strategy and coordinate all elements of national power against
terrorism and insurgency," the President reassured Nigerians and the
international community.
President Buhari said that the National Defence College had
fulfilled the vision of its founding fathers, by becoming a strategic human
capacity-building institution, making credible contributions to Nigeria and
other friendly countries.
He urged graduates of the College's Course 23 to resolve to
make "a marked difference in your future deployments and contribute your
quota to the evolution and implementation of national security, defence and
military strategies."
"You should be the source that lights up the
environment wherever you find yourselves," Buhari said.
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