By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Federal Government has directed the upgrade of the Tactical Training Ground and Obstacle Course of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, to enhance the training, development and operational readiness of the Corps.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this at the commissioning of the facility on Thursday in Abuja.
Represented by the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the minister described it as more than a physical structure. “This occasion represents far more than the unveiling of a physical structure. This is a celebration of vision, commitment and strategic investment in the future of the Corps,” he said.
Announcing the Minister’s directive, Audi said the facility would be upgraded to a higher standard. “The minister has directed me to begin the process of upgrade of this training centre. This training ground will be upgraded to a standard level where, because as it is now, you can only find something like this in our training schools. I think it’s only one or two commands that have a semblance of this,” he said.
Audi added that it reflects the Corps’ determination “to build a Corps that is professionally competent, intelligence-driven, operationally effective and fully prepared to respond to increasingly complex internal security challenges confronting the nation.”
He noted that Nigeria’s security environment continues to evolve rapidly, citing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, vandalisation of critical national assets, illegal mining, cybercrime, oil theft and communal conflicts as recurring threats. He described the pattern as “asymmetric conflict,” drawing a comparison with Sri Lanka’s decades-long battle with the Tamil Tigers, and said the only effective response was for security agencies to work together under a framework he referred to simply as “the three C’s” — collaboration, cooperation and coordination.
The CG commended the FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, for the initiative, noting that most of the Corps’ training programmes are conducted in partnership with the Nigerian Army. “It’s not easy for the child to defeat the father,” he said of a mock security drill staged for the occasion, “but I assure them, because we are their child, we are going to learn very fast, and next time we will take the lead.”
He added that personnel welfare remained a priority under his administration, listing regular promotions, enhanced training opportunities, better medical support, improved housing and insurance benefits among measures already in place, and charged officers to make full use of the new facility. “Train with discipline, train with professionalism, train with integrity. Remember that every exercise undertaken here is ultimately aimed at protecting the lives, property and freedom of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the FCT Commandant, Dr Olusola Odumosu, said the project was born out of a determination to better prepare officers for the security demands of the nation’s capital.
He commended Audi’s support throughout the construction phase, as well as the backing of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Odumosu said the facility would expose officers to obstacle crossing, endurance drills, tactical movement, rescue simulations, disaster response exercises and combat fitness training, describing it as a strategic investment in operational readiness. “Every officer who trains here will leave stronger, more confident and more disciplined to provide the best security services to FCT residents,” he said.
He charged personnel of the Command to take full advantage of the new facility. “Train harder. Build endurance. Develop resilience. Embrace discipline. Seek excellence in everything you do. Remember that every training session undertaken here may one day save your life, protect a colleague, or enable you to save innocent Nigerians in moments of danger.”
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