FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET TO REVIEW PEACE KEEPING POLICIES

The Federal Government is set to review its participation strategy in global peace support operation, it was disclosed yesterday.

The country also has no plan to deploy troops in Somalia as earlier planned.

Currently, Nigeria is the fourth largest contributor to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions around the world.

Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, told defence correspondents that a national conference on the review of the country’s strategy in the deployment of troops would be convened next month.

According to him, the forum would feature experts from the defence and economic sectors as well as civil society, "because the need has arisen for Nigeria to review why it has to send its troops on these missions."

He said: "The need for an all-encompassing review was necessitated because the main philosophy of this peacemaking involves a wider framework and we need our own policy that will underline what we do because we are known all over the world.

"Nigeria is bent on supporting and training backward countries on peace making and democratic structure in all sectors of their economies and providing them infrastructure because this will make them partner Nigerians and provide facilities for them."

The minister decried past situations whereby civil society organisations and professionals in Nigeria were not involved in post peacekeeping period in the area of Nigerian troop’s deployment.

He cited the cases of Nigeria’s involvement in Liberia and Sierra Leone, saying having assisted in keeping peace, they have to stay back to maintain peace, explore other areas and maximise opportunities in those countries.

"Nigeria’s NGO’s and entrepreneurship body should be actively involved in order to play a leadership role and avoid other countries taking the lead role

"There is need for our professionals and others to key in to the PSO and develop our own philosophy as we continue to play active roles in global peacekeeping initiatives," he said.

Kayode, who said the government is set to leverage on the returns accruing from its participation in the global peace initiatives through the procurement of equipment for the use of its contingents paid for by the UN, also revealed that plans would commence on the Nigerian Military Industrial Complex.

"Though the country does not have enough reserve from the procurement of equipment for its troops as paid for by the UN to plough back into barrack rehabilitation, the little we have, I would rather prefer we use the acquisition of new platforms and equipment for our armed forces instead of being spent on barracks’ rehabilitation," he stated.

The minister spoke on plans to establish a military industrial complex that will house between 300 and 400 military industries. "We are looking at a situation whereby the equipment of our troops on PSO will be locally manufactured."


The Federal Government is set to review its participation strategy in global peace support operation, it was disclosed yesterday.

The country also has no plan to deploy troops in Somalia as earlier planned.

Currently, Nigeria is the fourth largest contributor to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions around the world.

Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, told defence correspondents that a national conference on the review of the country’s strategy in the deployment of troops would be convened next month.

According to him, the forum would feature experts from the defence and economic sectors as well as civil society, "because the need has arisen for Nigeria to review why it has to send its troops on these missions."

He said: "The need for an all-encompassing review was necessitated because the main philosophy of this peacemaking involves a wider framework and we need our own policy that will underline what we do because we are known all over the world.

"Nigeria is bent on supporting and training backward countries on peace making and democratic structure in all sectors of their economies and providing them infrastructure because this will make them partner Nigerians and provide facilities for them."

The minister decried past situations whereby civil society organisations and professionals in Nigeria were not involved in post peacekeeping period in the area of Nigerian troop’s deployment.

He cited the cases of Nigeria’s involvement in Liberia and Sierra Leone, saying having assisted in keeping peace, they have to stay back to maintain peace, explore other areas and maximise opportunities in those countries.

"Nigeria’s NGO’s and entrepreneurship body should be actively involved in order to play a leadership role and avoid other countries taking the lead role

"There is need for our professionals and others to key in to the PSO and develop our own philosophy as we continue to play active roles in global peacekeeping initiatives," he said.

Kayode, who said the government is set to leverage on the returns accruing from its participation in the global peace initiatives through the procurement of equipment for the use of its contingents paid for by the UN, also revealed that plans would commence on the Nigerian Military Industrial Complex.

"Though the country does not have enough reserve from the procurement of equipment for its troops as paid for by the UN to plough back into barrack rehabilitation, the little we have, I would rather prefer we use the acquisition of new platforms and equipment for our armed forces instead of being spent on barracks’ rehabilitation," he stated.

The minister spoke on plans to establish a military industrial complex that will house between 300 and 400 military industries. "We are looking at a situation whereby the equipment of our troops on PSO will be locally manufactured."


The Federal Government is set to review its participation strategy in global peace support operation, it was disclosed yesterday.

The country also has no plan to deploy troops in Somalia as earlier planned.

Currently, Nigeria is the fourth largest contributor to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions around the world.

Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, told defence correspondents that a national conference on the review of the country’s strategy in the deployment of troops would be convened next month.

According to him, the forum would feature experts from the defence and economic sectors as well as civil society, "because the need has arisen for Nigeria to review why it has to send its troops on these missions."

He said: "The need for an all-encompassing review was necessitated because the main philosophy of this peacemaking involves a wider framework and we need our own policy that will underline what we do because we are known all over the world.

"Nigeria is bent on supporting and training backward countries on peace making and democratic structure in all sectors of their economies and providing them infrastructure because this will make them partner Nigerians and provide facilities for them."

The minister decried past situations whereby civil society organisations and professionals in Nigeria were not involved in post peacekeeping period in the area of Nigerian troop’s deployment.

He cited the cases of Nigeria’s involvement in Liberia and Sierra Leone, saying having assisted in keeping peace, they have to stay back to maintain peace, explore other areas and maximise opportunities in those countries.

"Nigeria’s NGO’s and entrepreneurship body should be actively involved in order to play a leadership role and avoid other countries taking the lead role

"There is need for our professionals and others to key in to the PSO and develop our own philosophy as we continue to play active roles in global peacekeeping initiatives," he said.

Kayode, who said the government is set to leverage on the returns accruing from its participation in the global peace initiatives through the procurement of equipment for the use of its contingents paid for by the UN, also revealed that plans would commence on the Nigerian Military Industrial Complex.

"Though the country does not have enough reserve from the procurement of equipment for its troops as paid for by the UN to plough back into barrack rehabilitation, the little we have, I would rather prefer we use the acquisition of new platforms and equipment for our armed forces instead of being spent on barracks’ rehabilitation," he stated.

The minister spoke on plans to establish a military industrial complex that will house between 300 and 400 military industries. "We are looking at a situation whereby the equipment of our troops on PSO will be locally manufactured."