The National Crisis Management Doctrine (NCMD), introduced by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja, aims to close the gap left by the extensive deployment of security services by encouraging cooperation among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

The Office of the National Security Adviser's (ONSA) NCMD, which was created in collaboration with the appropriate MDAs, would increase the effectiveness of responding to national crises.

The National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), his staff, and the working group members from various responder MDAs were recognized by the President during the launch for their outstanding work in developing the doctrine.

The achievement was hailed as a significant milestone in recognition of the need for group efforts to achieve coordinated, effective, and efficient national crisis management, according to a statement from Femi Adesina, Buhari's media adviser.

"This shows the renewed promise and commitment of this administration to managing crises in the country,’’ the President said, urging ONSA to continue to play its coordinating role amongst crisis response stakeholders to achieve greater success.

President Buhari also thanked the British government for its collaboration in the development of the doctrine as well as the United States government for its support, urging them to sustain the relationship.

The President recalled that at the inception of the Administration, Nigeria was faced with multiple security challenges ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, to armed banditry, ethnic militia attacks, oil theft, rape, gun running, and various acts emanating from violent extremism.

The emergence of the Boko Haram terrorist group, as well as bandits and kidnappers in Nigeria, considerably changed the country’s security situation, leaving panic in the minds of the populace.

These and other security challenges confronting the nation tend to stretch the deployment of our security agencies, resources, and national security apparatus.

"Owing to the dynamics of these crises, the Office of the National Security Adviser revised the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), which I endorsed in August 2016.

Within this strategy are certain work streams which include the Prepare and Implement strands that seek to mitigate the impact of terrorist attacks by building resilience and redundancies to ensure continuity of business; a framework for the mobilization of coordinated cross-government efforts, respectively.

"I am glad that the Office of the National Security Adviser has not relented in its efforts to implement the NACTEST by coordinating relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to develop the National Crisis Management Doctrine,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the NSA explained that work on the doctrine started in 2014 but was given impetus after the President endorsed the revised NACTEST, which has five work streams, namely: forestall, secure, identify, prepare, and implement.

Further, Monguno said the NCMD, which is a subset of the NACTEST, fulfills the work streams to "Prepare" and "Implement."

"The doctrine provides a detailed methodology for national crisis response, outlining how the various relevant MDAs should interact at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels.

"It is to be noted that the NCMD can be used to manage both malicious threats and civil emergencies owing to the general principles set out within it,” he said.