By JOAN NWAGWU

Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has emphasised that family stability plays a critical role in national security and the moral development of young Nigerians.

Speaking at the opening of Exercise HASKE BIYU 2025 in Jaji, Kaduna State, on Monday, Mrs Tinubu warned that the erosion of family values was contributing to rising insecurity across the country.

The First lady was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.

The exercise, themed “Family and Security,“ was organised by the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Nigeria.

“A stable home provides an environment where families thrive, economies grow, and the nation’s future can be secured,” she said.

She noted that broken homes and absentee parenting were fueling negative trends such as violence, drug abuse, cultism, prostitution, and extremist ideologies.

“The family unit is no longer what it used to be.

“Many parents, while struggling to survive, neglect their responsibilities, leaving children vulnerable to destructive influences,” she added.

The First Lady urged religious, traditional, and community leaders to reinforce positive values and faith-based teachings in guiding young Nigerians.

Highlighting federal efforts, she noted that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had supported more than 15 million vulnerable households through conditional cash transfers of N25,000, paid in three tranches.

“Through the Renewed Hope Initiative, we will continue to complement government efforts to improve the lives of families,” she said, pledging continued support for social welfare and family empowerment.

Also speaking at the event, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, represented by Deputy Governor Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe, hailed the Armed Forces College for spotlighting the connection between family structure and national stability.

“When the family foundation is weakened, the structures of society inevitably begin to falter,” he noted.

Air Vice Marshal Idris Alhaji, a senior officer at the College, explained that the 2025 edition of Exercise HASKE BIYU was expanded into a whole-of-nation platform.

He said the Initiative aimed to promote institutional collaboration and national resilience as key strategies for achieving lasting peace and security.

He noted that the College, established 50 years ago, had trained leaders from more than 40 countries and fostered synergy among Nigeria’s military and security institutions.

“The theme recognises the centrality of the family in our lives, values, and moral compass.

“Sustainable security goes beyond the armed forces, it requires societal acceptance and shared responsibility,” Alhaji said. (NAN)