The National Defence College (NDC) on Monday called for adaptive leadership, stronger institutional capacity and enhanced inter-agency cooperation to confront rising security threats in the country.

The commandant of the college, Abdullahi Ahmed, made the call in Abuja while declaring the ninth defence and security management course open.

The event was organised by the Department of Defence and Security Studies Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS) in the NDC.

Mr Ahmed noted that the contemporary security environment was shaped by interconnected threats that no nation could tackle in isolation.

According to him, it is important to remind ourselves that the world today is highly interconnected. Security challenges are no longer confined within borders, as threats emerging from one region can quickly transcend boundaries and have global implications.

He identified terrorism, insurgency, cyber risks, economic disruptions and geopolitical tensions as key drivers of instability, stressing the need for well-informed, forward-looking and adaptable leaders across military, security and civil institutions.

“We are operating in an era marked by complex and evolving threats. This reality underscores the need for well-informed, forward-looking, and adaptable leaders,” he said.

The commandant urged participants to fully engage with the course, noting that it was designed to sharpen leadership capacity and strategic thinking.

He commended the CSRS and the Department of Defence and Security Studies for sustaining the programme, while reaffirming the college’s commitment to producing innovative and ethical security leaders.

”This programme will not only test your resilience but will also sharpen your critical thinking abilities and strengthen your leadership capacity.

”The NDC remains firmly committed to its mandate of producing leaders capable of addressing contemporary security challenges with innovation, resilience and integrity,” he said.

Earlier, the provost of CSRS, Adam Ahmed, described the programme as a critical platform for advancing non-kinetic approaches to security as well as strengthening global collaboration.

Mr Ahmed said the course attracted participants from within and outside Nigeria, including international scholars, reflecting the college’s growing global relevance.

He noted that modern security challenges could no longer be addressed through military force alone.

”This reflects the growing regional and global relevance of our programmes at the CSRC.

”While kinetic operations remain necessary in certain contexts, sustainable peace requires broader strategies that address root causes and strengthen civil-military coordination,” he said.

The provost added that the centre was expanding its training model through blended learning and digital platforms to enable wider participation across regions.

The programme is designed to equip participants with practical skills in digital evidence handling, cyber threat mitigation and inter-agency collaboration to enhance national cyber resilience.

(NAN)