The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on Nigerians to learn basic combat and self-defence skills as part of survival measures in the country’s increasingly insecure environment.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the Defence Chief likened self-defence training to essential life skills such as swimming and driving, stressing that they should no longer be regarded as optional.
“Learning combat skills should be seen as a survival instinct, like swimming or driving.
“It is important whether or not a country is at war.” Musa said.
General Musa noted that in parts of Europe, swimming is made compulsory, while security awareness is treated as a critical life skill.
He suggested that Nigeria should adopt similar practices to strengthen citizens’ preparedness.
He particularly recommended that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) integrate unarmed combat and self-defence into its curriculum, arguing that the three-week orientation programme could be more impactful if it focused on equipping youths with practical survival skills.
“The NYSC has been reduced to three weeks, but it should focus on training youths in self-defence.” He said.
The CDS further advised Nigerians to cultivate situational awareness and acquire additional survival skills such as driving and swimming.
He cautioned that the present security climate demands greater personal responsibility.
“Self-defence is very important—unarmed combat, swimming, driving. These are critical for human endeavours. We should never take them for granted because they prepare us for the future. The world we live in is dangerous, with individuals who do not mean well and sometimes kill for no reason,” he warned.
Musa also urged citizens to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, stressing that security should not be left entirely in the hands of the military or law enforcement agencies.
