In an effort to develop local capacity to tackle contemporary security challenges, the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) on Tuesday in Abuja, showcased the research and development efforts of army schools.

TRADOC had on Monday commenced a two-day Research and Development Conference and Curriculum Harmonisation Workshop for Nigerian Army School.

During the opening of the programme, the Chief of Training (Army), Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Ibrahim, reiterated the commitment of the army to research and development to effectively address the contemporary security challenges confronting the nation.

The theme of the event is “Research and Development Efforts Amidst National Security Challenges”

He said the army had been leveraging research and development to enhance its operational efficiency.

The Dean, Faculty of Arts, Federal University of Lafia, Prof. Okpe Okpe who was a resource person at the event, said the question of knowledge management had become critical in the face of the current security challenges.

Okpe said that the conduct of research for developmental purposes remained an important part of knowledge management, which according to him TRADOC Nigerian army had been driving.

He delivered a paper titled, “the Prospects of Research and Development in the Professionalisation of Nigerian Army.”

The Don said the idea was to see how innovations and inventions by army schools could be harmonised and deployed for the purposes of dealing with the security challenges facing the nation.

He said that the Nigerian army had been relying on the importation of its weapons and equipment, adding that it was time for the nation’s army to look inward for its needs.

“From what we have seen in the exhibition, It is clear that the Nigerian army has the capability to indigenous technology that will begin the process of self-reliance for Nigeria.

“You can see all that has been displayed in terms of some of the equipment that you saw.

“What we are trying to do or what the army is trying to do is to tell the world that it has the capacity and the capability, but more importantly it has the skills to do all these things in order to promote national confidence and national pride.

“We cannot continue to rely on the West. You will recall that when the Boko Haram thing started, a number of countries abroad refused to provide Nigeria with the requisite resources that it needed in order to counter it.

“Now these have shown very clearly that until we look inwards we cannot solve our problems and we must understand it from that perspective,” he said.

The Nigerian Army School of Artillery (NASA), Nigerian Army Armour School, and Nigerian Army School of Infantry, among others, displayed various innovations from their research and development efforts.

Some of the equipment displayed included the Vulcar M1A latest variant produced by NASA, as well as an aero snipe and Shilka, developed by its Air Defence Wing, among others.