Towards a UN multinational peacekeeping centre for Nigeria

Nigerian Army authorities, on Saturday, renamed the Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Centre, located in the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, after the former Chief of Defence Staff , Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, for his contribution to global peace and security; and to upgrade the centre to meet global standard. MUSA UMAR BOLOGI reports on its transformation to a centre of excellence.

Nigeria fi rst launched its presence in UN peacekeeping when it sent its military contingents to Congo (ONUC) in 1960; and since then it has been an active participant in UN peacekeeping missions, deploying troops, military observers, military staff offi cers, police units and advisors and civilian experts to over 25 UN missions. Currently, Nigeria is one of the largest UN contributing countries with military and civilian personnel deployed in ten UN peacekeeping operations and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Although Nigeria’s contribution to world peace spans 56 years, it had no formidable peacekeeping centre until 2004, when the then Chief of Army Staff , Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai saw the need for the country to have a peace keeping operation wing in the army to give basic training to military contingent to be deployed for peace keeping.

As a wing, it was administered by the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI), taking directives from the commandant of the school. Th is limited the extent of foreign collaboration it enjoyed, as it was majorly influenced by the decisions of the Nigerian Army authorities. Th e courses it off ered also at the time were mainly humanitarian military intervention-based, as determined by the authorities. However, the need to adapt to changes in peace keeping operations in the world confl ict zones necessitated the upgrading of the peace keeping wing to a centre in 2009.

Th is availed the centre collaborations with foreign governments including the United States, Germany and United Kingdom., even though the centre still focuses mainly on training military contingents for peace keeping operations abroad. The centre was also still influenced by the Nigerian Army authorities, as its courses only need approval from the military leadership, in accordance with UN guidelines. But despite its limitations, it was an advantage for military contingents of neighboring African countries which derive their predeployment training from the centre. But the need to further improve centre, recently saw its metamorphous to Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre to accommodate training of not only military contingents, but also paramilitary organisations and civilians that will be deployed for peace support operations.

“Th e decision to rename the centre was conceived by the army leadership due to its contribution to global peace support under the UN, says Chief of Army Staff , Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, while delivering his speech at the renaming ceremony of the centre in Jaji. “Th e renaming of the centre Troops demonstrating recoupling of weapon From left: Chief of Army Staff , Lt.-General Tukur Buratai, General Martin Luther Agwai, his wife, Mrs. Ruth Agwai and Emir of Birinin Gwari 11, Alhaji Jibrin Zubairu Maigwari 11, during the formal renaming ceremony of Nigerian Army Peacekeeping Centre as Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji, Kaduna at the weekend will enable it benefi t from international partners more than before. Th e change will remove the direct infl uence of the army and allow the centre to benefi t from other countries and organisations. Th e centre will inculcate multi-dimensional features of peacekeeping operations in the contemporary world.” With the new change, the centre now has a governing board chaired by Gen. Agwai who once served as Commander of the combined UN-African Union peace keeping force in Darfur, leading one of the biggest peacekeeping operations in the world with about 20,000 troops and 6,000 Police under his command. Th e new focus of the centre will also draw the partnership of civil organisations and private sector. Analysts believe that the centre may also transform to become a UN peacekeeping centre, serving the whole of Africa, with it courses being approved by the UN, through the presentation such request by its governing board. Speaking after the centre was named after him, Agwai noted that peacekeeping was gradually becoming an intra-country issue with the military at the centre stage following internal confl icts such as ethnic, religious other crises.

He, however, noted that Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping operations in Africa and world at large, but yet to reap the economic and diplomatic benefi ts of such venture. Agwai called on government and private-owned organisations to partner the centre in leadership training on confl ict prevention and management in the quest to achieve enduring peace. “Th e centre will help us to respond in responding to local and international crisis,” Agwai said. “I will also help us in civil-military relations, and remove Nigeria eff orts from the periphery to the centre stage of global peace keeping.” Giving further insights on why the centre will include leadership training, Buratai said “I observe that there is a correlation between leadership and confl ict, as most confl icts can be resolved through good leadership.” Th is though was also shared by Agwai. “I believe in dialogue and inclusiveness in decision making,” he said. “Leaders should not be afraid to dialogue, but should bot dialogue for fear.” Th e occasion was used to graduate 230 personnel, including 19 offi cers and 211 soldiers who had undergone a four-week intensive training on leadership and peacekeeping.

Th ey are, according to Buratai, to be immediately deployed to Liberia. Th e army chief said since 1960, the army had deployed over 20, 000 troops to 40 peacekeeping missions in Africa and across the world. He charged the personnel to be professional and shun acts that could tarnished Nigeria’s image. “You must observe human rights, and respect the cultural and religious sensitives of Liberians,” he said. With the new renaming and upgrading of the centre, analysts are of the view that the centre will humanitarian military intervention to training of leadership on conflict prevention and management, thereby making Nigeria a focal point in leadership training of contingents to peace support operations in the west Africa sub region and beyond

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