The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), today, Monday 3rd March, 2025, celebrated the World Civil Defence Day with a lecture as part of 3 day activities lined up to mark this year International Civil Defence day.

NSCDC, a member of the ICDO, celebrates the World Civil Defence Day on the 1st of March every year. The theme of this year is Civil Defence, Guarantee of Security for the population was dissected in a lecture titled Enhancing Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Capabilities for National Security: Strategies for Effective Population Protection.

In his charge to the participants, Commandant Oluyemi Ibiloye cpo,mspsp, appreciated the management staff, officers, and men of the command for their support, commitment, and dedication. He said NSCDC is special because most policing agencies are independent, but NSCDC belongs to an international body with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Before declaring the anniversary lecture opened, he read the speech on behalf of the Acting Secretary General of the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) for International Civil Defence Day 2025.

“Today, Civil Defence is not only a system for alerting and responding to emergencies. It is a comprehensive approach that includes building resilient and safe communities, preparing population for potential threats, and developing infrastructure for rapid response and effective rescue operations.

“The International Civil Defence Organization continues to play a key role in coordinating the efforts of countries to protect populations from threats, sharing knowledge and best practices, and establishing international standards that help make the world a safer place.

“Civil Defence is our collective responsibility, and it guarantees the security of every individual, regardless of their location or circumstances.” The speech read in part.

Deputy Commandant of Corps Odunayo Yusuff, while delivering the anniversary lecture, spoke on understanding Nigeria’s current security challenges, the core mandates of NSCDC, and current capabilities in addressing them, strengthening community engagement for effective protection of the populace.

He opined that in trust building between law enforcement officers and the populace, several challenges hinder this collaboration, which includes historical mistrust and corruption, use of excessive force and human rights violations, lack of community engagement and poor communication, discriminatory policing and profiling.

Others are slow or ineffective responses to crimes, political influence and lack of independence, insufficient training and professionalism, lack of transparency and accountability, social media and negative public perceptions, and economic hardship and underfunding.

The anniversary celebration continues tomorrow with a capability building training on conflict resolution and mediation.

DSC Daniel Aidamenbor
Public Relations Officer
NSCDC Ondo State Command