The Chief of Staff to late former president Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari; Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliu Sokoto; the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola;, the Vice Chancellor Maranatha University, Prof. Rufus Taiwo Akinyele, Lt. Gen. L. Adeosun (rtrd) were among distinguished Nigerians honoured with the Distinguished Fellowship Award of the Institute of Security, Nigeria.
The occasion, which held Saturday at the Faculty of Social Sciences Auditorium, University of Lagos, had former Chief of Army staff, Brigadier Tukur Yusuf Buratai as keynote speaker. It also had wife of Olowu of Owu, Olori Ameenah Matemilola, honoured with the Senior Fellowship of the Institute’s award, while the Special Adviser on Foreign Relations and Head of Protocol of Pan African American Chamber of Commerce (PAACC), Olatutu Oladunni received the fellowship award alongside several others.
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With the theme: “Expanding Frontiers of Innovations in Security Enhancement and Nation Building in Nigeria, the 18th Annual International Security Conference centered on the current security challenges in the country, with General Buratai’s keynote address focusing on overcoming the challenges, with focus on the current security architecture, pathway – a paradigm shift, innovation and reform as well as collaborative and stakeholders’ approach.
President of the institute, Prof James Olowokudejo in his welcome address, noted that “the need for the conference had never been more pressing, stating that Nigeria is facing numerous security challenges that threaten the stability and progress of our nation.”
Delivering his goodwill message, Prof Gambari expressed his gratitude at the Lifetime Achievement Award and Distinguished Fellowship conferred on him by the institute. On the security challenges, Gambari noted that “The recurrent threats of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and cultism have linkages with the issues of climate change, inequality and multidimensional poverty,” while stressing that “addressing the security challenges Nigeria is facing requires an all-out government and all-society approaches.”
