It was just another Friday morning, or so I thought. Little did I know that God had other plans for me, plans that would lead me into a room full of military brass and intellectual discourse.
As I rummaged through my closet, I settled on comfort over style. “It’s Friday,” I told myself. “A day for staring at black and white screens, configuring servers. Who’s going to see me anyway?” Oh, how wrong I was.
There I sat at my desk, with my fingers typing away at the keyboard, already in my world of configurations and tweaking in the digital realm. Suddenly, my line manager appeared at my door with the question “Can you represent the boss at a lecture?” he asked. My first instinct was to decline—after all, I had servers to wrangle. But as I skimmed the invitation card he stretched out to me in his hands, something stirred within me. The prospect of being in a room full of uniformed personnel ignited a spark of excitement, and I had a quick mind-time travel to the time when I used to see and converse with them daily. You see, I’ve always had a soft spot for the intellectual company of military folks because I once worked with them.
So, I packed up my things for the day and set off on this unexpected adventure. Arriving fashionably late (but just in time), I found myself in the Abiola Ajimobi hall, Parry road, University of Ibadan. The air was thick with anticipation as the guest speaker was introduced—none other than the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) himself, Lt Gen. T.A. Lagbaja, ably represented by Maj. Gen. O.G. Onubogu, the GOC 2 Div. Ibadan.
In short, what began as an ordinary Friday gave me the unexpected opportunity to attend the first strategic personality lecture of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS) at the University of Ibadan.
As I settled into my divinely reserved seat near the front, I couldn’t help but feel a tingle of excitement. The topic of the lecture? “Combating an adversary without boundaries: the need to implement a whole of society approach to Nigeria’s national security.” Now, I know what you’re thinking—sounds dry, right? But let me tell you, it was anything but boring.
The presentation aimed to examine how the whole society approach to security is being implemented in Nigeria to combat adversaries without boundaries and assess its effectiveness.
Key points from the lecture included:
1. Conceptual Clarifications: Definitions of enemy, adversary, boundary, governmental approach, society approach, and national security were provided.
2. Security Challenges: The lecture outlined various threats to Nigeria’s existence, including insurgency, separatist agitations, terrorism, violent extremism, abduction, kidnapping, farmers-herders conflicts, transnational organised and cybercrime, piracy, sea robbery, crude oil-related threats, unemployment, poverty, fake news, misinformation, and social media issues.
3. Current efforts: The Nigerian Army’s efforts were highlighted, including various squad deployments across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
4. Whole-of-Society Approach: This approach includes respect for the rule of law and human rights, engaging civil society organisations, humanitarian activities, cooperation with other security agencies, forging closer ties with state governments, host community support, youth engagement, and media management.
5. Implementation Challenges: Problems in implementing this approach were discussed, such as definitional issues (the model was originally designed for Europe, not Nigeria), legal and policy challenges, differences in interests, lead agency syndrome, citizen apathy, and lack of effective coordination.
6. Recommendations: Suggestions for effective implementation included enhanced collaboration among stakeholders, increased security awareness and education, respect for the rule of law, empowering local governments and communities, leveraging technology, understanding the supremacy of national interest, and defining concepts on the nation’s terms.
The presenter (GOC 2 Div), God bless his soul, didn’t just read from slides. No, he spoke to them, bringing each point to life with a passion that was truly captivating. He delved into the nitty-gritty of national security, from defining who our adversaries are to understanding the complex web of security challenges facing our nation. He made the lecture presentation exceptional.
As I sat there, absorbing every word, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. Here was our military, not just fighting on the frontlines but also presenting their deep thoughts and actions on how they have been engaging every part of society in keeping our nation safe. He spoke of respecting human rights, working with civil society, and even managing social media. It was a far cry from the stereotypical image of the military I have heard, and I know you have heard about the military.
Of course, the presentation and discussion showed that their whole society approach wasn’t all smooth sailing. The challenges they face in implementing this approach are daunting—from legal hurdles to good old-fashioned bureaucracy. But hearing their proposed solutions, from increased collaboration to leveraging technology, filled me with hope.
As the lecture wound down and the Q&A session began, led by the Rtd. Gen Adeosun (Chairman of the occasion) and in collaboration with the presenter (Maj Gen OG Onubogu), I realised that I didn’t want the session to end because the intellectual discourse was enlightening. As someone who works within the university system, I found this lecture not only to be an eye-opener regarding the state of security within our country but also a way of delivering lecture presentations without dozing off in between. It also highlighted how we all (as Nigerians) have a role to play in helping the army (or other security agents) keep our country safe, especially considering the porous nature of our borders, which allows insurgents to enter the country.
Walking out of that hall, I felt transformed. What had started as a regular Friday had turned into an eye-opening experience. I realised that keeping our country safe isn’t just the job of men and women in uniform—it’s a responsibility we all share.
If I had to rate this unexpected detour in my day, I’d give it a solid 10 out of 10. And yes, I’ll admit it—my soft spot for the army has grown even softer. After all, they’re not just soldiers; they’re thinkers, planners, and, in many ways, family.
So, the next time you think your Friday is going to be just another day at the office, remember my story. You never know when you might find yourself in a room full of generals, learning about national security and loving every minute of it.