Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to deepen bilateral and multilateral partnerships to strengthen Nigeria’s adaptive intelligence framework to tackle evolving security threats.
Akpabio made the call in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference 2025, with theme: “The Role of Multi-Source Intelligence Innovation in National Security.”
The Senate President was represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Sen. Ahmad Lawan.
He said global security realities had made it imperative for intelligence institutions to strengthen cooperation with allies, share timely information and leverage emerging technologies to counter complex threats.
According to him, national security agencies across the world now rely on multi-source intelligence platforms such as human intelligence, signals intelligence, open-source data, geospatial tools and cyber intelligence to generate actionable insights and anticipate threats.
Akpabio said the DIA had remained central to Nigeria’s efforts to build a more responsive and resilient intelligence system through data integration, interagency collaboration and technological adaptation.
He commended the agency for expanding the scope of the conference to include joint presentations from Defence Advisers and Attachés as well as State Office Coordinators, describing the approach as strategic in merging domestic and international intelligence perspectives.
“As threats evolve, so must our capacity to collect, process and interpret information across multiple domains in real time,” he said.
The Senate President emphasised that the Defence Attaché System remains critical to strengthening defence diplomacy, while state intelligence offices provide ground-level insights needed to counter emerging threats.
He urged Defence Attachés to intensify diplomatic engagements with host nations, while calling on state coordinators to improve collaboration with local security agencies to enhance intelligence collection and utilisation.
“These partnerships are essential in building a coherent and adaptive intelligence framework capable of anticipating and countering threats,” he said.
Akpabio also encouraged participants to explore the potential of artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced data analytics in modern intelligence operations, noting that innovation was essential to keeping pace with adversaries who increasingly exploit technology.
He hailed the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, for his foresight and commitment to reforming Nigeria’s intelligence system, and applauded the contributions of Defence Advisers, Attachés and state intelligence personnel.
“Our success in defending Nigeria depends on our ability to anticipate threats, connect information across domains and act decisively on informed insights,” he added.
