The Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Ms. Usoro Akpabio, has spearheaded a strategic security engagement with the nation’s top military leadership

Leading a high-powered SSDC delegation to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Akpabio engaged Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR, in critical talks aimed at forging an unbreakable alliance for strengthening security, peace, and prosperity across the South-South region.

Akpabio, accompanied by board member Dr. Charles Sylvester Enukhowate and executive directors Hon. Joseph and Hon. Marcus Nle Ejii, immediately rolled out a comprehensive agenda for collaboration.

The meeting tackled the region’s most pressing issues head-on, including militancy, rampant pipeline vandalism, illegal mining operations, and community violence, with a unified focus on the urgent need to safeguard vital national infrastructure.

The SSDC team put forward detailed proposals for joint frameworks on intelligence sharing, rapid response protocols, community engagement, and capacity building, presenting a clear, actionable plan to further stabilize the region.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, responded with strong assurances of partnership, fully endorsing the SSDC’s proactive approach.

He emphasized the importance of joint initiatives in community engagement and strategically called for the revitalization of jetties and waterways terminals to serve as crucial alternatives for transport and logistics, a move that would boost both security and the local economy.

General Musa reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ steadfast commitment to protecting critical infrastructure in the South-South and pledged the military’s full support to the SSDC’s mission, while also commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for constituting the Commission at this crucial time for regional growth and stability.

This engagement, initiated under Usoro Akpabio’s leadership, is widely seen as a pivotal new chapter of collaboration, marking a bold step toward building a peaceful, secure, and economically vibrant South-South.