Abuja: Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) has successfully concluded its Geo-Strategic Study Tour across three African nations, exposing participants of Course 9/2025 to innovative approaches to forest security and environmental management.
Major Hashimu Abdullahi, the College Public Relations Officer, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Abdullahi said the week-long tour, “Security of Forest Reserves for Enhanced National Defence,” took participants to Uganda, Botswana, and Tanzania, where they engaged with government ministries, defence establishments, and research institutions.
He said the tour aimed to explore how these countries address the complex intersection of environmental management and security governance.
According to him, the participants gained valuable insights into diverse approaches to forest reserve security, civil-military collaboration, and non-kinetic strategies for countering security threats.
He said these insights would inform innovative solutions to Nigeria’s forest security challenges, particularly in tackling insurgency and banditry.
“The participants were divided into three teams, each assigned to a different African country.
“Team 1 visited the Republic of Uganda, Team 2 toured the Republic of Botswana, while Team 3 engaged with stakeholders in the Republic of Tanzania.
“The selection of the three countries aims to explore how they address the complex intersection of environmental management and security governance.
“Furthermore, their rich experience in forest conservation, national park protection, and community-driven environmental initiatives offers valuable insights for Nigeria,” he said.
He said that during the study tours, participants engaged in high-level discussions with government ministries, defence establishments, forest management authorities, and research institutions.
“They were educated on diverse approaches to forest reserve security, civil-military collaboration in environmental protection, and non-kinetic strategies for countering security threats emanating from ungoverned forest regions,” he added.
In his remarks, the Commandant of AWCN, Maj.-Gen. Umar Alkali charged the participants to reflect critically on the security issues affecting Nigeria’s forests and harness the knowledge acquired to address these complex and evolving threats.
Alkali emphasised the importance of both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in contemporary security operations, especially given forests’ environmental and economic importance to national stability.
He said the tour reinforced the Nigerian Army’s commitment to high training standards and institutional oversight.
He stated that the knowledge would undoubtedly contribute to more effective security operations and a more stable future for Nigeria.
