The Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) has successfully concluded its Geo-Strategic Study Tour for the participants of AWCN Course 9/2025. The week-long tour, which took place from 8 to 14 June 2025, was designed to expose the participants to various geo-strategic environments and foster a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between strategic mechanisms and Nigeria’s foreign policy posture towards other African nations.
The tour was conducted under the theme: *“Security of Forest Reserves for Enhanced National Defence.”* The theme reflects an evolving understanding of the role of environmental security, particularly forest ecosystems, in national and regional stability.
The participants were divided into three teams, each assigned to a different African country. Team 1 visited the Republic of Uganda, Team 2 toured the Republic of Botswana, while Team 3 engaged with stakeholders in the Republic of Tanzania. The selection of the 3 countries was aimed at exploring how they are addressing the complex intersection of environmental management and security governance. Furthermore their rich experience in forest conservation, national park protection, and community-driven environmental initiatives offers valuable insights for Nigeria.
During the study tours, participants held high-level engagements with government ministries, defence establishments, forest management authorities, and research institutions. They were educated on diverse approaches to forest reserve security, civil-military collaboration in environmental protection, and non-kinetic strategies for countering security threats emanating from ungoverned forest regions.
Participants are expected to apply the insights gained during the tour in formulating innovative and pragmatic solutions to Nigeria’s forest security challenges, particularly in tackling insurgency, banditry, and other transnational threats within the nation’s forest reserves.
In his remarks, the Commandant charged the participants to reflect critically on the security issues affecting Nigeria’s forests and to harness the knowledge acquired in addressing these complex and evolving threats. He emphasized the importance of both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in contemporary security operations, especially in light of the environmental and economic importance of forests to national stability.
Also on the tour were Brigadier General UM Aliyu from the Army Headquarters Department of Training and Brigadier General MB Usman from the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, who participated as observers. Their presence ensured objective assessment of the exercise and reinforced institutional oversight in line with the Nigerian Army’s commitment to high training standards.