The Governor said tackling insecurity requires seamless cooperation among security agencies and governments at all levels, stressing that national security is a collective responsibility.
A file photo of Governor Hope Uzodimma
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies and improved intelligence gathering to address the country’s security challenges.
Uzodimma made the call on Friday while receiving participants of Course 25 of the Defence Intelligence College, Abuja, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Owerri.
The Governor said tackling insecurity requires seamless cooperation among security agencies and governments at all levels, stressing that national security is a collective responsibility.
The Governor attributed the security gains recorded in Imo State to effective collaboration among security agencies.
“The successes we have recorded in Imo State can largely be attributed to the smooth cooperation among security agencies. National security is not the responsibility of one agency alone,” Uzodimma said.
He identified unemployment, infrastructure deficits, and rapid population growth without corresponding economic opportunities as major factors fueling insecurity across the country.
The Governor maintained that sustained economic development remained the most effective long-term solution to Nigeria’s security challenges, urging intelligence officers to strengthen coordination, improve information sharing, and engage local communities to enhance preventive security measures.
Imo State is in South-East Nigeria
He also encouraged members of the delegation to interact with security agencies in the state and understudy Imo’s security architecture, expressing optimism that their research would produce practical recommendations to improve security management nationwide.
Uzodimma commended the Defence Intelligence College for exposing its participants to practical field experience and expressed confidence that their findings would assist governments in formulating effective security strategies.
He also thanked the delegation for choosing Imo State for the study tour and praised security personnel for their commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability.
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Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Commodore Usman Bugaje, said the team was in Imo State to examine the role of operational intelligence in crisis prevention and national security as part of the College’s practical training programme.
Bugaje explained that participants would engage with security agencies, traditional rulers, and other critical stakeholders to assess the state’s security architecture, adding that the outcome of the exercise would be compiled into a research paper with recommendations to strengthen security in Imo State and across the country.
He said Imo was selected for the study because of what he described as the remarkable improvements in security under Uzodimma’s administration.
Bugaje thanked the Governor for hosting the delegation and described Imo as his “second home,” recalling his previous security assignments in the state and his contributions to peace and democratic stability.
