Uzodimma Calls for Stronger Intelligence Sharing to Tackle Nigeria’s Security Challenges

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies and improved intelligence gathering as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

The governor made the call on Friday while receiving participants of Course 25 of the Defence Intelligence College (DIC), Abuja, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Owerri.

Uzodimma stressed that safeguarding the country is a collective responsibility that requires seamless cooperation among security institutions and all tiers of government.

According to him, the security gains recorded in Imo State have been largely driven by effective collaboration among the various security agencies operating in the state.

“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,” the governor said.

He commended the Defence Intelligence College for exposing its participants to practical field experience, expressing confidence that the outcome of the study would provide valuable recommendations for improving security management across Nigeria.

The governor identified unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and rapid population growth without corresponding economic opportunities as some of the major factors fueling insecurity across the country.

He maintained that sustainable economic development remains the most effective long-term solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Uzodimma urged intelligence officers to strengthen inter-agency coordination, improve information sharing and deepen engagement with local communities to enhance preventive security measures.

He also encouraged the visiting participants to interact extensively with security agencies operating in Imo State and study the state’s security architecture with a view to producing practical recommendations that could strengthen national security.

The governor thanked the delegation for selecting Imo State for the study tour and commended security personnel for their sacrifices in protecting the nation’s unity, peace and stability.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Commodore Usman Bugaje, said participants of Course 25 of the Defence Intelligence College were in Imo State to examine the role of operational intelligence in crisis prevention and national security.

Bugaje explained that the study visit forms part of the College’s practical training programme, designed to complement classroom instruction with real-life field experience.

He said participants would engage security agencies, traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders to assess the state’s security framework before compiling their findings into a research paper containing recommendations to strengthen security in both Imo State and Nigeria.

“We selected Imo State because of the remarkable improvements in security recorded under Governor Uzodimma’s administration,” Bugaje said.

He thanked the governor for hosting the delegation and described Imo as his “second home,” recalling his previous security assignments and contributions to peace-building and democratic stability in the state.