Firm, LGAs, NDC, Organise Capacity Building Programme for Local Security

Congress International Limited, the owners of People’s Dividend – The Magazine for Local Government has announced that the organisation is putting together  a high powered capacity building programme at  the local level tagged “Safer Localities Safer Nation Programme.”

According to the organisation, the programme will be held  in collaboration with Nigeria’s apex security training institution, National Defence College Nigeria and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). 

In  a  press statement  the Chairman/Publisher of People’s Dividend – The Magazine for Local Government,  Ogah Columba, announced the landmark programme, which he said is a senior executive capacity building programme for all local government security stakeholders  in Nigeria which will take place in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to him, “there is a critical knowledge gap that needs to be filled for local public safety policy formulation and implementation as it concerns human security at the local government level – which is a pivotal tier of governance.”

“Against this background and with the obvious public safety and stability challenges  facing the nation, a capacity building programme has become imperative to cover this gap within  critical stakeholders at the local authority level in order for them to understand their separate and collective roles that community  stakeholders must  play  as to prevent and manage increasing non-violent and extreme  crimes such as insurgency, gangsterism, land grabbing, banditry, kidnapping and other  activities. 

Threatening the developmental activities, lives and assets of the peoples of communities,” he added. 

Ogah noted that, “these activities which are not yet fully nipped in the bud at the local levels have become a serious threat to national stability and territorial integrity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish an annual interactive conference with local authorities and coordinating State public safety outfits and their management authorities with experts to brainstorm with experts over three working days and produce actionable policy with implementation plan.”

According to the statement, the programme promises to be a game changer in strategies to address the security challenges facing the nation especially as the programme’s driving philosophy sees that public safety operational mechanism is bottom up from the communities in all LGAs with States as the primary coordinator while national security or strategic territorial stability mechanism is top down from the Federal level. 

“Major General Ishola Williams Rtd, a former head of Defence Training of Nigeria’s Armed Forces is the Faculty Chair for the programme,” the statement disclosed.

Ogah also said that earlier, in a letter to Congress International Limited confirming its collaboration, Professor A.O. Ahmed, the Provost, Centre for Strategic Research and Studies, the think-tank of the National Defence College (NDC) informed the firm of the approval by the Commandant of the NDC, Rear Admiral Olotu for the collaboration to take place. Prof Ahmed, he said, expressed excitement at the opportunity for the NDC to work together with the Congress International Limited and ALGON to make a positive impact in the security landscape of the nation, whilst expressing a firm belief that the collaboration will significantly contribute to fostering dialogue and initiatives aimed at enhancing security at the local government level.

According to him, “By bringing together key stakeholders, experts and practitioners, the conference has the potential to generate valuable insights and recommendations to address security challenges and promote safer communities nationwide.” 

Participants expected at the programme will include all 774 local governments chairmen, security officers of all 774 LGs, traditional rulers, commissioners for chieftaincy and local government affairs, security advisers to state governors, heads of security agencies, Office of The National Security Adviser, National Assembly members, governors, and the Presidency.