By Mariatou Ngum
Information Officer, MOTIE
Mrs. Ndey Fatou Trawally, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) last Wednesday received a delegation of students from the Nigeria Defence College Course 32.
The mission was composed of officials from Nigeria’s National Defense College who were in The Gambia on a 7-day study tour that focused on “Role of the Maritime Sector in National Development in The Gambia: Lessons for Nigeria”.
The objective of the study tour is to strengthen participants’ appreciation of crucial issues of geopolitical, social, and economic importance on the global scene and how these impact Nigeria’s national security and development as well as enhance participants’ understanding of bilateral relations between the countries they are visiting and Nigeria.
Welcoming the delegation, DPS Trawally expressed gratitude on behalf of the Ministry for their visit. He acknowledged the longstanding relationship between The Gambia and Nigeria, while emphasizing the importance of security in national development, particularly in facilitating trade. She thanked the Nigeria Defence College for always taking time to come to the Ministry to exchange knowledge on important trade issues, which will help strengthen the already existing bilateral relations between The Gambia and Nigeria.
Air Commodore EO Olokun, the leader of the delegation thanked the Ministry through the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the warm welcome accorded them. This year’s theme: ‘Role of the Maritime Sector in National Development in The Gambia: Lessons for Nigeria,’ he said was chosen bearing in mind Nigeria’s effort to diversify its economy from petroleum oil and natural gas to other areas for enhanced national development.
According to him, Nigeria is blessed with abundant maritime potentials that have not been optimally utilized. Recognising the achievements the Gambia has made in this regard, the National Defence College constituted the team to undertake a study tour of the Maritime sector in The Gambia.
As such, this tour portends a good opportunity to learn and make necessary recommendations for the development of this sector in Nigeria.
About National Defence College
The National Defence College is the apex military training institution for the Nigerian Armed Forces and a Centre of Excellence for peace support operations training at the strategic level in West Africa. It was established in 1992 as the highest military institution for the training of senior military officers in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Armed Forces had long established a strong tri-service military training heritage with the establishment of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, for cadet training, and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, for middle-level staff training, it was appropriate and cost-effective to continue the tradition by establishing the new strategic level military institution, the National Defence College, on a tri-service basis.
