Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is concerned about how climate change may affect military and national security preparedness.
At the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 32nd Convocation Ceremony and the Graduation of 69 Regular Course Cadets and Postgraduate students on Tuesday in Kaduna, Prof. Osinbajo delivered a speech (NDA).
He referred to the new military commanders as the warrior-scholar generation who will face off against state foes using a variety of unconventional techniques, unconventional tactics, and critical thinking.
“It has fallen on you to be thought-leaders that will advance development both on and off the battlefield”, he said
The graduate’s environment “is not the same threat environment that existed just a decade ago” the vice president explained to the group of graduates.
They were asked by Osinbajo to deal with the confluence of insurgencies, asymmetrical conflicts, hybrid warfare, and violent criminal activity carried out by criminal non-state actors.
Regarding the effects of climate change, he pointed out that there are additional anticipated disruptions in addition to the revenue loss from decreased oil and gas earnings.
Osinbajo connected his concern to the military’s reliance on fossil fuels for logistics, transportation, mobility, and the deployment of weaponry.
“We must consider the implications on the national defence apparatus. As our country pursues energy transition, it is worth setting as a goal for our defence and security sector”, he said.
The vice president added that it is crucial to develop domestic national defence capabilities in a country with the size and population of Nigeria that faces challenges to its citizens and sovereignty.
“This means revitalizing our local military industrial complex and investing in the local capacity to manufacture armaments”, he added.
