By Mariyah Adamu, Abuja
National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has called for inclusive security in which military veterans, communities and state actors collaborate.
Ribadu stated this recently at the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, 18 Regular Course held in Abuja.
The NSA in a lecture titled “Veterans As Significant National Assets,”proposed a National Veteran Security Initiative to leverage the expertise of retired officers in intelligence, training and peacebuilding.
According to him, “Security is not just the job of soldiers and police, it is everybody’s business and our success is due to the unified approach of all security agencies, working as one team.
“Veterans are being called back—not to the battlefield, but to the strategy room, to the classrooms and into their communities.
“At a time when security threats have evolved beyond traditional battlefields, Nigeria is looking back to move forward—by turning to those who once stood at the front lines.
“You are not just assets to be admired, you are partners to be engaged, advisors to be consulted and leaders to be followed.”
Ribadu also commended the veterans whom he said helped shape Nigeria’s defence landscape through decades of service, from battling civil unrest and insurgencies to peacekeeping operations abroad.
This makes them strategic national assets in the country’s current security architecture, he emphasised.
Furthermore, the NSA outlined a plan to systematically integrate veterans into Nigeria’s contemporary security strategy by creating a National Veteran Security Initiative, a platform to build a national database of veteran expertise.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, lauded the initiative and urged the NDA alumni across generations to emulate the Course 18 cohort in upholding the ideals of patriotism and service.
Matawalle pledged the federal government’s commitment to continue to enhance the welfare of the veterans.
The Chairman of the occasion, Major-General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), who served as the Adjutant and Commander of Course 18 in 1975, praised their enduring loyalty and contributions to nation building.
Nwachukwu, who was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Military Governor of Imo State, lauded the efforts of Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, a Course 18 member, as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff.
He noted that Ihejirika proudly spearheaded crucial counterinsurgency operations and expanded military formations nationwide between 2010 and 2014.
In his remarks, Ihejirika advocated for compulsory military training for all Nigerians to instill a culture of patriotism, discipline and national unity.
Royal Father of the Day and Supreme Islamic Leader, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, also a member of RC 18, called for sustained national devotion.
He urged veterans to lead in inspiring civic responsibility.
Earlier his remarks, the President of 18th Regular Course, Air Commodore Isaac Oguntuyi (rtd), revealed that only 47 of the 149 cadets who began training on June 30, 1975, are still alive.
He paid special tribute to Sultan Abubakar and Ihejirika for their historic accomplishments, describing them as pillars of the group’s enduring legacy.
Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, representatives of the minister of defence and service chiefs.
