The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has highlighted the importance of collective national action to strengthen security and promote peace across Nigeria.
The Defence Chief remarked on the annual Defence Exhibition and Seminar at the National Defence College, Abuja, focusing on research, innovation, and national security.
The event, themed “Driving the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy Through Research and Development: National Security in Perspective,” brought together military officers, policymakers, researchers, and private sector innovators.
The focal point of the exhibition was the presentation of a newly developed airboat prototype, which features an 800-horsepower engine and is capable of achieving a maximum velocity of 100 kilometres per hour.
This prototype was developed through a collaborative effort between the Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB) and a private sector firm.
The Airboat is designed to ease access to the shallow waters of the Lake Chad Basin and the swampy creeks of the Niger Delta, areas often exploited by criminal elements.
Representing the Minister of Defence, Dr Mohammed Badaru, the Special Adviser to the Minister, Retired Major General Ahmed Jibrin, emphasised that most of Nigeria’s security threats are domestic, adding that “the solutions must be homegrown and readily adaptable.”
The Director General of the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Major General Emmanuel Ndagi, noted that the Bureau’s research activities are guided by the current security environment and the operational needs of deployed troops.
