By Safiyat Muhammed
ABUJA — Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to acquire combat and self-defence skills as part of survival training amid growing insecurity.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the Defence Chief stressed that martial arts such as Karate, Taekwondo, and Judo should be treated as essential life skills, alongside swimming and driving.
“Learning combat skills should be seen as a survival instinct, like swimming or driving,” Musa said. “The world we are in now is dangerous. We have individuals who don’t mean people well. They kill for whatever reason.”
Combat Training for NYSC Members
General Musa suggested that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should integrate unarmed combat and security awareness into its orientation programme.
“The NYSC has been reduced to three weeks, but it should focus on training youths in self-defence,” he noted, lamenting the programme’s limited scope.
According to him, introducing combat and security training at the NYSC level would prepare young graduates with the practical skills needed to survive in a hostile environment.
“Dangerous World Requires Vigilance”
The Defence Chief emphasised that today’s reality demands that every Nigerian develops basic security consciousness.
He listed self-defence, situational awareness, swimming, and driving as critical skills that should never be taken for granted.
“I think it is important that we are able to give every Nigerian security awareness at whatever level. Self-defence is very important. Unarmed combat. Swimming. Driving. These are critical aspects for human endeavours,” Musa stressed.
He also urged Nigerians to play active roles in their safety by staying vigilant and reporting suspicious activities.
Global Parallels
Musa cited examples from Europe where swimming is compulsory, noting that many countries enforce similar security or survival training to prepare their citizens for emergencies.
