The Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) hosted its weekly subject experts, where presentations were received on various aspects of governance. The presentations, which were made on Wednesday, at Hall E, ML Agwai Block of the NARC in Abuja featured three presentations by subject experts on China, South Africa, and the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey.
The first presentation, by Major-Gen JA Orokpo (Rtd), who is the subject expert on China, centred on the recent tragedy of a highway collapse in China’s Guangdong province. The China expert quoted media reports, which showed that “24 people have died after a section of a mountainside highway collapsed in China’s Guangdong province, following days of heavy rain.
“The Chinese State media report had stated that the 30 people in hospital are ‘not currently at risk.” Major General Orokpo noted that similar incidents have occurred in Nigeria due to flooding. The presenter referred to a Tribune Newspapers report, which showed that on August 14, 2023, the bridge along Gombe-Bauchi Federal Highway at Bara village had collapsed repeatedly every rainy season, disrupting movements between the two states. The presenter therefore recommended that “the FGN through the Federal Ministry of Works should ensure that drainage systems on the highways are expanded to remove excess water from the roads and also invest in robust flood prevention infrastructure like embankments on flood-prone areas of the highways.”
In his presentation, Colonel OR Akerele (Rtd), who is the subject expert on South Africa, focused on how small power producers of renewable energy have added 30MW to Tanzania’s national grid. “In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the Rural Energy Agency (REA) reported that small power producers and developers in the country have generated and contributed over 30MW to the national grid,” he said, quoting the agency’s Director, Advera Mwijage. “She said: ‘the government, through the World Bank has provided 30bn Shillings to provide subsidies to small developers to conduct research on electricity generation projects and supply power to residents and also sell to national grid especially to be used for areas where energy remains insufficient or has not reached,'” Colonel Akerele added.
Drawing lessons for Nigeria, he stressed the need to boost renewable energy production and learn from Tanzania’s initiatives. “Nigeria is a blessed country with both clean and unclean energy resources. Amidst its abundance, the government is unable to provide a steady power supply,” he said.
Colonel Akerele therefore recommended that “the Federal Government of Nigeria and state governments should continue to collaborate with local and international bodies and agencies such as the World Bank and African Development Bank for the development of renewable energy and also review the country’s economic policies linked to Renewable Energy Development in order to augment electricity supply from the National Grid.”
On his part, Brigadier-General SO Oloyede, the subject expert on the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, focused his presentation on Exercise African Lion 2024.
He said: “On 30 April 2024, the seventh consecutive year of African Lion exercises in Tunisia commenced with an opening ceremony at El Aouina Air Base in Tunis, on 29 April 2024 (Legros, 2024).”
“Similarly, on 11 May 2024, Morocco World News (2024) Reported that Morocco and the US are also set to conduct a joint military drill from 20 – 30 May 2024. The drill is the same US driven exercise nicknamed EXERCISE AFRICAN LION 2024, which was flagged off in Tunisia three weeks earlier.”
Analysing the implications for Nigeria, Brig Gen Oloyede pointed out that “Nigeria, with the most thriving social elements of national power, has a long history of military partnership with the US, in a relationship where Nigeria benefits from US’ controlled support, with conditions, as the US dictates how its support is utilized.”
He recommended that “the Federal Government of Nigeria should re-examine the principle of deterrence in her defence policy, with a view to designing and adopting a less costly, yet effective approach to national security and also seize the opportunity offered by Exercise AFRICAN LION to enhance its military operational skills against contemporary challenges hindering its national security.” The weekly subject experts’ presentations at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre provided valuable insights and analysis on various global and regional developments, offering recommendations for Nigeria’s approach to addressing national security challenges.
 
