ABUJA, Nigeria – Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to treat combat training as a basic life skill, stressing its importance in today’s unpredictable security environment.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, General Musa compared the necessity of unarmed combat skills to swimming or driving. “Security awareness must be given priority,” he said, adding that self-defence equips citizens to handle unforeseen threats.
He called for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to play a bigger role in preparing young people through structured training in unarmed combat, swimming, and other survival skills. “We live in a time when some individuals harm others for no reason,” he warned.
Musa emphasised that safety cannot be left to security agencies alone. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, report suspicious behaviour, and take personal responsibility for their protection.
The Defence Chief maintained that embedding survival training in education and youth service would enhance national resilience, noting that several European countries already integrate practical survival skills into their curricula.
