Peace Obi
As part of the National Defense College’s Geo-Strategic World Study Tour for 2018, a delegation of 24 officers from the NDC visited Finland for a week-long study tour.
The study tour which spanned from May 19 to 26 was hinged on a theme, ‘Social Security and National Development in Finland: Lessons for Nigeria’. The delegation was hosted in Helsinki by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as well as other ministries and the Finnish Defence Forces.
As part of the extensive programme, opportunity was created for the delegation to get acquainted with different aspects of Finnish society, including internal security and immigration issues, the comprehensive Finnish social security system, as well as Finland’s foreign policy, Finland’s contribution to international crisis management, and the work that Finland does in the area of biosafety. The group also had the opportunity to visit Nokia Corporation.
While in Finland, the delegation had the chance to meet with their counterparts at the National Defence University, as well as visiting the Guard Jaeger Regiment, which is one of the regiments training Finnish conscripts. As one of the few countries in Europe with most of the male population going through military service, Finland is renowned for extensive experience in training conscripts.
The Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, who welcomed the group in Helsinki, said that the already active Finland-Nigeria relations will greatly benefit from the delegate’s visit, adding that it would afford them the opportunity to know her country and also to meet their Finnish counterparts.
