Uzodimma canvases collaborative foresight, tactical precision in combatting terrorism
BY: EMMANUEL CHUKWUMA, ENUGU.
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has stressed that to effectively combat increasing threats of terrorism, banditry, cyber crimes, and resource-based conflicts among African nations, collaborative foresight and tactical precision are urgently needed.
Uzodimma brought this to bear in his keynote address at the Fourth Africa Air Forces Forum held in Lagos with the theme: “Strengthening Collaboration in Advanced National and Regional Security.”
He described the event as timely and commended the foresight and the leadership of Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, DFS, and his African counterparts for putting the forum together.
He stressed: “Your collaborative resolve inspires confidence in our defense capability as a region.”
Uzodimma noted that the sovereignty of any nation is defined by its airspace, which inadvertently shapes the survival of such a nation or region.
His words: “We are reminded that airpower remains one of the most versatile tools of modern defense, offering speed reach, deterrence,, and intelligence superiority.”
Uzodimma commended some African countries like Egypt and Algeria that have built impressive capabilities of over 1,000 and 600 military aircraft, respectively, noting that Nigeria also maintains 163 aircraft.
He pointed out that “Nigeria not only needs more aircraft but smarter integration of our air assets into a collective security architecture.”
Governor Uzodimma expressed delight at the achievements made by the joint operations of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, which neutralized terrorist strongholds, restored communities, and enabled safe resettlement.
He, however, observed: “Gaps remain in intelligence coordination, operational interoperability, and shared logistics. These must be addressed not in theory but through mechanisms we build together.”
The Imo State Governor further regretted that Africa’s reliance on “external supplies for critical aerospace and defense needs leaves us vulnerable to both market volatility and strategic manipulation.”
He commended the leadership of the Nigerian Air Force for adopting “a self-reliant approach, reactivating long abandoned aircraft, deploying locally developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and incorporating academic research into mission planning and systems design.”
This shift, according to him, “is redefining the scope of African-led innovation in defense.”
