Today, I led the leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) on a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Defence, His Excellency Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, CON, at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
In my address, I gave a brief introduction of what NAPS represents: the apex umbrella body for over 28.1 million Nigerian Polytechnic, Monotechnic, and College of Technology students nationwide. I reiterated that NAPS is not merely an advocacy platform for student welfare but a strategic partner in national development, committed to advancing technical education, innovation, national unity, and the protection of Nigeria’s human capital.
On behalf of NAPS, I began by commending the Honourable Minister for his outstanding leadership and broad achievements since assuming office. We recognized the Ministry’s visible progress in:
✓ Enhancing synergy among the Armed Forces, Police, and other security agencies, leading to more coordinated and effective joint operations.
✓ Sustaining successful counter-insurgency campaigns that have neutralized terrorists, rescued hostages, and disrupted kidnapping and banditry networks across several states.
✓ Promoting defence industrialization and indigenous military production, thereby advancing Nigeria’s capacity for self-reliance in defence technology and equipment.
✓ Improving the welfare and morale of serving and retired officers, ensuring that those who sacrifice for national security are duly honoured and cared for.
✓ Prioritizing intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration, which continue to yield positive results in restoring confidence in the Nigerian defence architecture.
As a student body that monitors national affairs closely, we acknowledged that these efforts are yielding tangible results in stabilizing the country and rekindling citizens’ hope in the security system.
However, I also used the platform to present the growing insecurity challenges affecting our students across campuses, especially in volatile environments where kidnapping and attacks have become threats to learning and personal safety. Some visible examples include the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, and the State Polytechnic, which have recorded such incidents within a short period.
I appealed to the Honourable Minister, as contained in our position paper submitted during the visit, to strengthen joint security operations around educational corridors and to ensure that all criminal elements and their sponsors are completely displaced and made uncomfortable anywhere in Nigeria.
Furthermore, I proposed a visionary model tagged “Enhancing Security through Agriculture,” urging the Ministry of Defence to collaborate with relevant MDAs to establish Military/Paramilitary Agro-Security Farms across Nigeria’s borders, forests, and strategic locations.
The initiative, as outlined, aims to:
i. Secure vulnerable zones through productive agricultural engagement;
ii. Provide employment for millions of youths and ex-servicemen;
iii. Boost local food production and economic resilience;
iv. Convert ungoverned spaces into habitable, economically active communities;
v. Align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, national security, and economic diversification.
In his response, the Honourable Minister expressed appreciation for the proactive posture of NAPS and assured of the Ministry’s willingness to deepen partnerships with youth bodies and educational institutions in building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Nigeria.
This visit reaffirms our commitment as student leaders to constructively engage government institutions, safeguard the welfare of Nigerian students, and contribute meaningfully to national security, peace, and progress.
Comr. Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, GCNPS (SHOPRITE)
President, National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS)
