The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Lamuwa, says the role of Nigeria as big brother in Africa had helped in addressing security challenges in the continent.
Lawamu, represented by the Director, Policy, Research and Statistics, Amb. Samson Itegboje, said this at the National Defence College security seminar on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme of the Seminar is “Nigeria’s Foreign Policy and Transnational Security Changes in West Africa”.
He said Nigeria’s foreign policy objective on Africa was premised on the basis of its big brother status in the continent and its contributions to peace in different countries.
He said that the nation had successfully played such key roles during the Liberia and Sierra Leon conflicts in the 1990s through ECOMOG.
The permanent secretary said the seminar was designed to achieve a firm perspective and X-ray Nigeria’s foreign policy in tandem with the transnational security challenges confronting it.
According to him, the sub-Saharan Africa has continued to feel the impact of the Libyan crisis that has led to proliferation of terrorist groups and illicit arms.
“So we are going to x-ray and see what solutions can come out of it for government implementation.
“Nigeria, for example does not live in isolation within a global village. So whatever happens outside our shores, if we don’t take care of it very quickly, it will affect us.
“Right now, we are still suffering from the situation that led to the removal of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.
“We are having proliferation of armed groups into our country and creating multifaceted problems of terrorism, robbery, banditry.
“These are the problems that we have inherited as a result of the issues that are outside the walls of our country,” he said.
The Commandant of the college, Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, said Nigeria has been the largest contributor of military personnel and technical assistance to African countries affected by crisis.
Bashir, represented by the college secretary, AVM David Solomon, added that Nigeria also provided enormous support for regional security, as demonstrated during the Liberian civil war.
The commandant said transnational security challenges in the sub region, still remains an issue of great concern.
“These security challeneges, ranging from drug trafficking, smuggling, arms proliferation, and trafficking, to piracy and terrorism, have turned West Africa into a sub region conducive for the operations of transnational criminal activities, more recently with Nigeria.
“These developments have raised concerns about Nigeria’s leadership role and authority within her sphere of influence,” he said.
The commandant said the security seminar was to assess the situation and propose solutions to the issues of declining security in West African states.
He added that the forum would provide evidence based solutions to home and foreign policy issues towards combating the security threats.
Bashir said that NDC, as the apex military institution in the country, was not unmindful the challenges hence the effort to provide strategic solutions to address the challenges. (NAN)
