The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has called for stronger trust, collaboration and consensus among government institutions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges, Peak Newspaper reports.
Oluyede made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the Royal College of Defence Studies Alumni Association of Nigeria Chapter Summit, themed “Rebuilding Alliances, Trust and Consensus as Panacea for Tackling the Menace of Insecurity in Nigeria.”
Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, he said building trust among the executive, legislature, judiciary, military, traditional and religious institutions, academia, youth groups and civil society was vital to national unity and social cohesion.
The Defence Chief stressed that peaceful coexistence among Nigerians, regardless of ethnic or religious differences, remains essential for national integration. He urged governments at all levels to partner with civil society and other stakeholders to create platforms for dialogue, strengthen mutual trust and develop lasting solutions to insecurity.
Oluyede expressed confidence that Nigeria’s security challenges could be overcome through collective action, adding that the calibre of participants at the summit would help generate practical recommendations to address the country’s security concerns.
Also speaking, President of the Royal College of Defence Studies Alumni Association of Nigeria Chapter, Major General Oluwaseun Oshinowo (retd.), described the absence of elite consensus as one of the country’s greatest challenges.
He noted that while military operations remain important, achieving lasting peace requires inclusive leadership, stronger cooperation among political, traditional and religious leaders, and renewed public confidence in governance.
