UNDP - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

isaac aregbesola
Nov, Wed, 2024

Violent extremism is complex, requires adaptable solutions- UNDP

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By Oladapo Udom

Mr Matthew Alao, the Team Lead, Governance, Peace, and Security Unit, United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, has described violent extremism as a complex, multifaceted problem that requires equally nuanced and adaptable solutions.

Alao said this at the graduation ceremony of 32 participants of Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC) on Countering Violent Extremism.

The Countering Violent Extremism Course 5, 2024, which started on Oct. 26 ended on Nov. 8, at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA) Lagos.

Participants from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Guinea Bissau, Togo and Liberia took part in the two-week rigorous training.

The team lead called for collaborated efforts from stakeholders to address the challenge, which he said was taking its toll on humanity in general.

He urged the participants to always remember that countering violent extremism was not solely about security measures or law enforcement.

“It is about addressing root causes, fostering inclusive societies, and offering hope where despair once reigned.

“Your role extends beyond tactical responses; you are now architects of resilient communities and advocates for social justice.

“You will face challenges, setbacks and moments of doubt. However, be hopeful; be optimistic because our struggle is not the struggle of a day or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime,” he said.

Alao expressed confidence in the knowledge and skills the participants had acquired, saying that they were not just academic achievements, but the building blocks of resilient communities and sustainable peace.

“Now, you stand ready to return to your respective countries, organisations, and communities as agents of positive change,” the UNDP representative said.

Alao appreciated the Government of Japan, MLAILPKC, the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and the UNDP for their support which had been instrumental in shaping future leaders.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Farouk Mijinyawa, in his remarks stressed the need for partnership and collective efforts to eradicate violent extremism in the country.

Mijinyawa commended the seamless collaboration between MLAILPKC and the Government of Japan, through the UNDP, which resulted to the approval and conduct of the course.

According to him, the strategic partnership serves as beacon of international cooperation which needs to be sustained.

He quoted former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, as saying that the greatest weapon against extremism is collective action.

“This points to the fact that it is only through partnership and collective efforts that we can eradicate the menace of violent extremism in the world,” he said.

The GOC said that violent extremism had continued to threaten world peace and humanity in general, adding that all stakeholders must unite to counter it by addressing the root causes.

“These include support to education, community engagements and creating economic opportunities.

“The training will help to enhance capacity and equip potential peacekeepers with the requisite expertise to handle threats posed by violent extremism.

“It will also enable them to effectively perform their roles in a multidimensional peacekeeping mission,” he said

One of the participants of the training, Lt.-Col. Thomas Nimele, from the Armed Forces of Liberia, said that the course broadened his knowledge regarding peacekeeping in violent extreme situations.

“The training also gave me insight into the drivers that cause violent extremism and how to use non kinetic measures to win the war.

“Countering violent extremism is a holistic approach involving both government institutions and societal institutions, using non kinetic approach to defeat the ideology of violent extremism,” Nimele said.

Also, Maj. Felix Adongo, from the Ghana Army, said that his take home would be to employ the use of more non kinetic measures in countering the extremist agenda rather than always resulting to force.

“It is important that we tackle this menace from this angle by identifying and getting to the root causes of the extremists ideas and agenda,” Adongo said(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

isaac aregbesola
Oct, Tue, 2024

General News

UNDP trains 402 participants on counter terrorism

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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has trained 402 participants from the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC), Lagos in counter terrorism measures.

The Head of UNDP Lagos office, Mr Williams Tusma, said this at the inauguration of the Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) Course 5/2024, which held at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA), Lagos.

Tusma said that beneficiaries from the previous four cohorts of the course were already applying the expertise in their respective places of assignment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CVE programme was organised by MLAILPKC in conjunction with the Government of Japan.

Countries participating in the training include Ghana, Cameroun, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, among others.

According to the UNDP representative, the course, which is the fifth in the series, seeks to boost socio-economic advancement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

“The CVE Course is a testament of our collective resolve to address one of the most pressing contemporary challenges facing humanity and draw participants from six ECOWAS countries.

“It is not debatable that violent extremism poses significant threats to the peace, stability and sustainable development of the ECOWAS sub-region, especially Nigeria.

“The challenges that the menace constitute to the realisation of SDGs and Agenda 2030 in the sub-region are enormous, as such, our response must, be pungent, swift, borderless and unified,” he said.

**Mr Tusma receiving a gift from a senior army officer.**

Tusma said that the tripartite partnership of MLAILPKC, the Government of Japan and UNDP to counter violent extremism was complementing wider national, regional and continental counter terrorism strategies and frameworks.

“These include the ECOWAS counter-terrorism strategy, and African Union Counter Terrorism Framework, as well as Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Strategy and Terrorism Prevention Act.

“The partnership aims to confront the menace bluntly and mitigate the impact of violent extremism on the continent.

“The course will equip the participants with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the fight against violent extremism in West Africa and Africa continent,” he said.

He urged all the participants to dedicate themselves to the course and acquire requisite knowledge that would engender their contributions to the socio-economic development of the region.

“This requisite knowledge will also help in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and Agenda 2030, as well as African Development Agenda 2063,” he said.

Tusma thanked MLAILPKC, the Government of Japan and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning for their continuous partnership with UNDP and for making the event a reality.

The Defence Attaché to the Nigerian Embassy in Japan, Lt.-Col. Morita Tatsuya, said that Japan remained committed to peace and stability in Africa through human resource development, and in partnership with UN agencies.

Tatsuya said that Japan had consistently shown its commitment to supporting essential training for African-led peace support operations and capacity building in Africa over the years.

“Japan recognises the significant role of African-led Peace Support Operations in maintaining peace and stability in Africa.

“In Nigeria, we have been supporting the Peacekeeping Operation (PKO) training in partnership with the UNDP and PKO training centres for the past six years.

“Over the years, since the first Defence Attaché was attached to our Embassy in 2015, the friendship between Japan and Nigeria in the area of defence has been strengthened,” he said .

Tatsuya said that the training would provide participants with the necessary knowledge to combat violent extremism and to protect people in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region.

Also, the Special Guest of Honour, Maj.-Gen. Wisdom Etuk, said that it was only through collective and collaborative actions that the region could address the root causes of violent extremism.

Etuk, who is Commandant, Nigerian Army College of Logistics, Lagos, emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach that encompassed security based counter-terrorism measures and systematic preventive steps to stop violent extremism.

“Violent extremism has continued to threaten global peace, security and human dignity. It exploits fear, ignorance and desperation, leaving destruction and heartbreak in its wake.

“Therefore, to defeat this threat, there is need for concerted efforts through capacity building such as this course in order to promote peace, justice and human dignity.

“The course will help to develop human capacity to understand the complex drivers of violent extremism, develop effective strategies to prevent radicalisation and foster international cooperation and collaboration,” he said.

He urged participants from other West African countries to feel free to share their experiences and insights during the course.

“According to him, that will go a long way to enriching the course.

“It is expected that the knowledge you will gain from this Course will empower you to make positive contributions when the need arises,” he said.

The Commandant, MLAILPKC, Maj.-Gen. Taiwo Adedoja, said that to tackle the scourge of violence extremism, governments, civil society and international organisations must collaborate and coordinate efforts.

Adedoja said that such collaboration would help to address its root causes, share information and engage in capacity building.

“Additionally, the asymmetric nature of modern conflicts has necessitated the training of potential peacekeepers to understand how to effectively counter violent extremism.

“Contemporary peacekeeping environments have become highly complex and volatile with different actors, which necessitated the UN, African Union (AU) and other regional bodies to adopt the integrated approach to Peace Support Operations,” he said.

He said that in recent time, violent extremism had become a gateway to terrorism, fuelling devastating attacks, destabilising communities, spreading hatred and claiming countless innocent lives.

He said that the course was designed in line with the UN’s training standards and qualified participants to be deployed in integrated peacekeeping operations under the auspices of UN, AU and ECOWAS.

“I assure you that the centre has erudite facilitators with world class experiences who will impact the required knowledge on the participants.

“We have invited a retinue of erudite scholars from both within and outside the country who are versed in their various fields to handle some of the topics towards enriching the entire course,” he said.

The commandant said that by the end of the course, participants would have been empowered to impact positive changes and contribute to enhancing peace, security and safety of the citizens in Nigeria and Africa. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Kadiri