The Federal Government is committed to making the military a force to reckon with globally. President Muhammadu Buhari, who reassured at commissioning a nationwide secure Defence Headquarters (DHQ) communications network, GIWA 2 Project, Phase 1, yesterday, in Abuja, charged officers to remain professional and patriotic.
Pledging more training, networking and equipment for the military, the Nigerian leader added: “As the Armed Forces of Nigeria continue to reposition to provide the enabling environment for security and well-being of the citizenry, I implore our troops to give their best in their service to the nation.”
He observed that the project would provide real-time secure means of communications and incident reporting, as well as information exchange between the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
“It also stands to enhance collaboration among our defence, intelligence and security community, while providing the platform for denial of freedom of action to perpetrators of insecurity across Nigeria,” Buhari noted.
The President said the initiative was in alignment with some of the main focus areas of the Federal Government in security, economic progress and technological development.
“These benefits of the GIWA 2 Project informed the timely support of the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to ensure that the centre is commissioned as one of the landmarks and enduring achievements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria under this administration,” he said.
Buhari directed the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to collaborate with the Defence Headquarters on the project to deploy rural telephony infrastructure for its overall success.
“To this end, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is to support the DHQ in ensuring that the infrastructure available for rural telephony are fully deployed for attainment of GIWA 2 Project deliverables. The Federal Government shall support full actualisation of the other phases of the project,” he added.
In his welcome address, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, described the commissioning as a boost to the President’s order in 2021 that the DHQ must ensure that security is fortified for displaced farmers to return to their farms.
