The Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA Technical Committee on Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection led by Air Vice Marshal E. E. Effiom, Director, Directorate of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection, ONSA have held a strategic summit with stakeholders such as; the Federal Ministry of Works, Lagos State Government Agencies, Security Agencies, Owners and Operators, Scrap Dealers and Employers Association and many more others at Lagos Island.
The technical committee from DCNAIP – ONSA at the meeting comprised the Acting Deputy Commandant General in charge of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Directorate at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, National Headquarters, Abuja, Dr Benito Eze, Commandant of Corps E R. Onibiyo, Deputy Director of Strategy and Assistant Commandant of Corps A.A. Bakare, Asst Director, Critical Information Infrastructure.
The Director, DCNAIP – ONSA, Air Vice Marshal Effiom while delivering his opening address at the strategic meeting made it known to stakeholders in Lagos that the directorate was created to ensure the full implementation of the document on protection of critical assets and infrastructure.
He emphasized that no nation can progress without the full protection of its critical assets and infrastructure noting that fiber optic cables are very important to effective telecommunications system of the nation and should not be allowed to be vandalized by any form of unscrupulous elements.
The Director, DCNAIP – ONSA, charged stakeholders to adopt the whole of government approach in ensuring the success in the protection of all assets and infrastructure in the state and across the country.
He affirmed that no failure will be tolerated as an excuse for not protecting our assets and infrastructure fully and effectively.
The Director, DCNAIP – ONSA, also harped on internal regulation of the scrap dealers and employers’ association by the Lagos State Agencies represented in a bid to regulate their activities in the state.
The summit broke into an intensive interactive session to further give all stakeholders in attendance the opportunity to respond to salient issues and give their contributions from the practical and practitioners’ point of view as peculiar to Lagos State.
During the interactive session, the Acting Deputy Commandant General in charge of the Directorate of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, NSCDC, National Head Quarters Abuja and ONSA Technical Committee Member, Dr Benito Eze, explained the importance of cooperation, collaboration and coordination in ensuring the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure in the country.
The Lagos State Command of the NSCDC, Mr Adedotun Keshinro, represented by the Head of CNAI Department, Deputy Commandant of Corps, Mr Kolawole Agbetiloye, reiterated the command’s efforts in sensitizing stakeholders across board on the the need to understand the significance of collectively protecting our assets and infrastructure in the state.
He reiterated that the command has concluded community engagements with Heads of Government Agencies and Security Heads, Traditional Institutions, three Senatorial Districts, ten Area Commands and twenty Local Government Areas on protection of assets and infrastructure while others are still ongoing in the state till the end of March, 2026.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Olufemi Dare called for much more robust security support from all agencies in a bid to stamp out vandalism on roads and bridges in the state.
He said that his ministry is faced with infrastructure vandalism in the roads and bridges but the efforts of security agencies have been very helpful to stem the tide of sabotage in recent times.
The Zonal Controller, Nigeria Communications Commission, Mr Tunji Jimoh commended the efforts of the technical committee from DCNAIP – ONSA in ensuring the successful coordination of stakeholders engagement on CNAI protection, while affirming NCC’s commitment in the area of sensitization and collaboration with the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC to reduce vandalism of fiber optic cables, manholes, power installations and others in the state.
Stakeholders commended DCNAIP – ONSA for effectively operationalizing Federal Government strategies on protection of critical and national assets and infrastructure across the nation.
Written by Yemisi Dada