President Bola Tinubu has expressed his confidence that Nigeria will overcome the various adversaries threatening its peace and security.
This assurance was conveyed through the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during the inauguration of the Defence Intelligence Agency’s new headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
The president highlighted the unwavering commitment of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and intelligence agencies, including the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, and the DIA, as the foundation for his optimism.
“You have all led me in no doubt that you have no other higher obligation than to serve and secure this nation of ours,” he said.
Tinubu emphasized that securing the entire nation remains a top priority for his administration, and he noted the critical role of the DIA in providing intelligence to the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense.
“Our country is bedeviled by a myriad of security challenges across the six geopolitical zones of the entire nation,” Tinubu said, pointing out that Nigeria faces a complex array of threats not seen since the civil war period of 1967 to 1970.
“Since we became an independent nation about 64 years ago, except for the period of the civil war spanning 1967 to 1970, at no time have we been faced by multiple threats than in recent times. We not only face physical threats but also economic and digital threats.”
He elaborated on the efforts to combat these threats, mentioning the deployment of armed forces across the country to assist civil authorities, and the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to counter digital threats.
“In our bid to combat physical threats, we deploy the armed forces in almost all parts of the country to assist the civil authorities. Some of the other threats, you will have to contend with behind your computers using, if necessary, artificial intelligence, enabling our military to know the position of the enemies or the games they are up to.”
Tinubu underscored the government’s commitment to improving the DIA, which was established in 1986, by ensuring continued support for welfare, training, and other logistical needs to enhance its productivity.
He stressed that a well-equipped and conducive working environment for the DIA would significantly improve intelligence gathering, processing, and timely dissemination to the military.
“It is my sincere belief that out of this magnificent office structure shall emerge innovations and creativity in the field of intelligence gathering that will keep Nigeria ahead of its foes and make our country and people safer. I want to commend the entire staff of the DIA for their dedication to duty.”
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, highlighted the importance of intelligence as a critical tool for statecraft, necessary for protecting the nation from surprise attacks, whether from foreign or internal threats.
Undiandeye acknowledged the significance of the new headquarters, marking it as a milestone for the agency’s improved performance in intelligence provisioning.
“This building stands as a testament to the fulfilment of the cardinal requirements of the staff of this agency for optimal performance of their duties.”
He revealed that the DIA is taking proactive steps by initiating a Defense Intelligence Agency Technology Centre to prepare for current and future challenges, emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence and data analytics into their processes.
“This is in order to give our nation a chance of survival in the fast approaching complex world of technology. Therefore, we have started incorporating artificial intelligence and data analytics into our processes in a flexible and scalable manner until we graduate into full implementation of all of the processes.”
Undiandeye cautioned that any nation that lags in artificial intelligence might find itself incapable of defending itself effectively in the future.
