Obasanjo Urges military to apply Lessons from the civil war.
The Nigerian military symposium provides a platform to academically analyze the strategic, operational, and tactical activities of the Nigerian Civil War. This analysis aims to enhance our understanding of battlefield events and outcomes, yielding valuable lessons to address contemporary security threats facing the nation.
The theme of the symposium is "The Role of Disinformation in the Nigerian Civil War." The keynote address was delivered by a former president, who emphasized the importance of military history in tackling current security challenges. He referenced a saying that resonates with me: "A child that does not learn history will be told history." This underlines the necessity of including the study of the Nigerian Civil War in the Army War College Nigeria curriculum, as it will enhance the capabilities of leaders at the operational level.
The guest speaker urged the Nigerian military to learn from the lessons of the Nigerian Civil War, especially concerning information management. Disinformation significantly influenced the conflict by exacerbating tensions and shaping public opinion both within and outside the country. This same strategy is currently being employed by insurgents in the northeast and other violent groups across Nigeria.
Therefore, it is crucial for us to intentionally extract and apply the valuable lessons learned to address our contemporary and future security challenges. The lessons from the Nigerian Civil War are integrated into the Army War College curriculum, which focuses on the role of disinformation during the conflict. Participants are expected to leverage these lessons to develop strategies for tackling current security issues.
