Thirteen officers have graduated from the inaugural Certificate in Defence Studies programme of the National Defence Institute, with Government stressing the need to strengthen Guyana’s capacity to defend its sovereignty.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond says as Guyana’s economy and national infrastructure expand, the country’s security architecture must evolve to address emerging threats, including cybersecurity.
“The significance is not simply because something new has been established but because Guyana has taken another deliberate step towards building intellectual, institutional and strategic capacity required to defend Guyana’s sovereignty, protect our national interest and secure the extraordinary development taking place across our country,” the minister said.
The Minister says the objective is not simply to increase the number of personnel within the security services, but to develop decision-makers capable of making sound judgments in an increasingly complex security environment.
”We cannot build a modern economy and leave our security architecture behind, we cannot accelerate digital transformation without strengthening cyber security, we cannot strengthen our borders without strengthening intelligence and information sharing, and we cannot acquire increasingly sophisticated assets while failing to invest in the people who must understand, command and deploy them,” she said.
The 13 officers are expected to return to their respective agencies with strengthened skills in strategic leadership and national security, contributing to Guyana’s broader defence and security capabilities.