Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has urged the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Defence Attaches/Advisers to promote mutual understanding and sharing of enhanced intelligence.
The security agency was also tasked to develop joint strategies to combat emerging threats.
Matawalle made the call at the closing of the Chief of Defense Intelligence Annual Conference 2023 on Friday in Abuja.
The theme of the weeklong conference is “Leveraging Defence Diplomacy and Effective Regional Collaboration for Enhanced National Security”.
The minister said the Defence Attaches and advisers had important roles to play in an increasingly interconnected world where security challenges transcend borders
Matawalle noted that they contributed significantly to strengthening the national security apparatus.
He said the insecurity challenge in the country was not an isolated incident but a general phenomenon that required coordinated response and collaboration with allied partners.
According to him, the conference might be an opportunity to understand defense diplomacy as a powerful tool in building relationships, fostering trust, and addressing collective security challenges.
“I want to ask you to ensure judicial utilisation of resources allocated to you, seeing that there are competent needs for scarce national resources as at now the job of defense Intelligence.”
“I want to assure you that this resolution will be given the required attention at the Ministry of Defence and other appropriate quarters to ensure speedy implementation of this resolution,” he said.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye said the conference would place the attachés in a better state to maximally leverage opportunities in their respective nations of accreditation to advance Nigeria’s national security interests.
Undiandeye urged all the defense attachés and advisers to carry the spirit of the conference with them to their respective sections.
He reminded them that their basic and cardinal task was providing intelligence for the nation’s national security and development, urging them not to deviate.
The CDI thanked President Tinubu for his support to the agency and the National Security Advisor and Ministers of Defence for their continuous guidance and support. (NAN)
