Nigeria deploys troops for peacekeeping mission

Nigerian Army says Nigerian is committed to maintenance of global peace and security.

Chief of Operations, Army headquarters Major General Oluwafemi Akinjobi stated this during the pre-deployment training graduation of Nigerian contingent to ECOWAS mission in Guinea Bissau held at the Martin Luther Agwai International leadership and Peacekeeping Centre Jaji, Kaduna State.

Represented by Major General Zakari Abubakar, the Chief of Operations noted that Nigeria remains the beacon of peace and the gatekeeper of the ECOWAS sub-region.

He maintained that Nigerian peacekeepers have helped restore peace in many conflict areas around the world, which have earned them many national and individual commendations from several missions.

Major General Akinjobi explained that the nation continues to strive to ensure security and stability in Africa through collective security by contributing to International peace and security, which is essential to Nigeria’s defence policy.

Earlier, Commandant of the centre, Major General Auwal Jibril Fagge said the aim of the pre-deployment training was to equip them with requisite skills and knowledge to function effectively and efficiently in their deployment to Guinea Bissau.

He pointed out that the graduation is a testament to the capacity and capability of the centre as a United Nations accredited centre to train quality peacekeepers for deployment to multidimensional peace support operations in fulfillment of its mandate.

Major General Auwal Fagge charged the troops to carry out their duties bearing in mind the multinational, as well as cultural religious diversities of the operating environment, which underscores the need for courtesy and respect for others.

A total of ten officers and one hundred and sixty-three soldiers graduated after undergoing a four week pre-deployment training.