Determined to rejig, revamp, reactivate, restructure and reposition the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to make the agency a world class organisation, its Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi Mni, has sought and received approval for collaboration with United States and France in different areas of training.
The Commandant General while playing host to two separate delegations from the US and France, requested for training of NSCDC personnel to enhance their capacity for effective performance in different areas of national assignments.
According to Audi, the corps which is a lead agency and charged with the responsibilities of Anti-vandalism, disaster management, regulation of Private Guards and Agro Rangers among others, would perform better if there is enhanced capacity of its personnel.
He maintained that protection of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure from the nefarious activities of vandals would be better when the corps is equipped with state of the art surveillance equipment like surveillance cameras, drones and tracking devices, saying such assistance will reposition the corps to deliver best and most effectively.
Continuing, he emphasised that training in Counter Terrorism, Counter Insurgency and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response (CBRNE) accompanied with simulation exercises will better reposition the NSCDC to respond more proportionately to the current asymmetric warfare affecting Nigeria.
In response, Senior Regional Security Officer in the US Embassy, Michael Vannett Steven, appreciated the corps over its response security situations, citing the peaceful conduct of its personnel in dispersing protesters in Abuja.
Steven expressed willingness to the collaboration saying his country has experts in many areas and advised the CG to articulate the request in areas of priority, assuring that US will assist the corps for it to succeed.
Similarly, in his response, Lt Col Laurent Savio, Desk Officer French MOFA, Police Cooperation Ministry of French Foreign Affairs, said he was delighted to visit the NSCDC Headquarters and to know their needs.
He promised to undertake recommendation for the Corps to organisations where certain equipment are produced and look into the possibility of providing those made in France to the corps.
The Director Public Relations, NSCDC National Headquarters,DCC Olusola Odumosu said as part of discussions on the collaboration with France, Security Attache in the France Embassy, Verin Emmanuel and the CG are to meet and fashion out better ways of effecting the collaboration.
