December 10, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has canvassed a global alliance-building for Nigeria and the rest of Africa in the bid to manage crises caused by external aggressions and domestic threats.
A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Vice President Shettima spoke on Saturday, during the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 16, 2023 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja.
According to the statement, the Vice President specifically noted that African countries are saddled with the responsibility of protecting their citizens from transnational crimes, including terrorism, climate change and cybercrime, among other global crises.
The Vice President told the graduands that they are great minds armed with the required knowledge to combat these external aggressions and domestic threats in a bid to maintain regional stability on the continent.
Delivering his speech titled, “From Crisis to Stability: Our Shared Global Responsibility,” Shettima listed cutting-edge knowledge, transformative skills and innovative ideas such as the one acquired by graduands from NISS as necessary for Nigeria and its neighbours to protect their nations from threats within their borders and beyond.
“Every part of the world today has been working around the clock to form alliances to stop external aggressions and forge solutions to domestic threats. This practical approach is crucial to tame crises and drive stability.
“However, none of these aspirations can be realised without the stewardship of trained minds at the helm of institutions tasked with the solemn duty of making decisions to safeguard lives, defend properties, and preserve peace. This is why we are here.
“You are here because you have chosen to be the custodians of this responsibility, the torchbearers of knowledge and expertise essential for steering the course towards a safer world.
“Your presence here today is, without a doubt, a celebration—a celebration of the integration of strategic ideas and decisive action, the cornerstone upon which a secure and harmonious world stands poised to thrive,” he said.
Noting that past happenings in Nigeria confirm that the country is as vulnerable as the world around it, Shettima said, “Anything that disrupts wheat production in Asia, crude oil production in the Middle East or commodity market in Africa brings consequences for the entire world.
“I have learned that this cohort, the sixteenth of the flagship programme in this institution, has studied the consequences of our existence in a globalized economy on our sustainable development, and I am impressed by your ambition.
“We have found ourselves not only at the crossroads of an era where the world has become a global village, connected through an invisible web of technological advancements, economic interdependence, and social exchange but also challenged to prepare for the disruptions that come with it.”
The VP reminded the graduands that the task before them is to join in the bid to address the situation, saying, “We are tasked with the responsibility of protecting our people as transnational crime, terrorism, climate change, and pandemics loom large as formidable adversaries.
“We don’t need a balance of threat theorists to remind us that these geopolitical tensions demand a collective, cohesive response. We have proven again and again that we can never be an annexe of any invidious group or be held ransom by any evil ideology.
“We have averted descent into a war economy because of this conviction, and believe that modern warfare isn’t waged on the field alone.”
Stating that they were not only coming to help Africa manage the crises, he said the graduands also have the task of ensuring no African country is short-changed in building regional economic integration amid crisis, as well as bearing the mantle of fostering regional stability.
Expressing delight with the idea that the graduands are not only Nigerians, as some of them are from neighboring countries, Shettima said: “Your role, esteemed graduates of the National Institute for Security Studies, extends far beyond the boundaries of our nation.
“You are the guardians of regional stability, the ambassadors of peace, and the architects of sustainable development across and beyond the continent. Your commitment to excellence, coupled with your unwavering determination, makes you the pillars upon which the future of our region stands.”
