The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to facilitate the final process of review of the National Defence Policy (NDP) to align it with the contemporary security challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (MOD), Amb. Danjuma Sheni , inaugurated the committee on Tuesday at a brief ceremony in Ship House, Abuja.
He said that the committee chaired by Lt.-Gen. Isaac Obiakor (rtd) has six weeks to come up with a white paper on the implementation of the revised National Define Policy (2015).
He said: “All nations in the modern world require a National Defence Policy to guide the core functions of their sovereignty and nationhood.
“Nigeria has operated a National Defence Policy since 2006 to guide our national direction in defence, economic and military affairs both locally and internationally.”
“It therefore behooves on you to collectively and dispassionately execute this ‘National Assignment’ irrespective of service affiliations and primordial differences.
“Terms of reference are to capture government’s view position to each of the recommendations in the revised National Defence Policy,” he added.
Sheni also charged the Committee to make recommendations to government to realistic strategies for the implementation of the revised National Defence Policy.’
He added that the adoption of a new National Defence Policy was important given the dynamic nature of national security and contemporary security threats occasioned by terrorism and militancy.
He said the review of the present National Defence Policy (2006) was long overdue, noting that the roles of the Armed Forces in national development had changed with trends in the society.
