Africa’s commitment to international peace and security is unquestionable. Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru recently highlighted Nigeria’s crucial role in peacekeeping missions, highlighting the fact that it has deployed over 200,000 troops since 1960 on 41 missions. These impressive figures demonstrate Nigeria’s strong commitment to building peace around the world.
Badaru highlighted Nigeria’s leading role in peacekeeping operations in Africa and beyond, with missions in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali and Sudan, among others. He noted that Nigeria contributes not only financially and logistically, but also through the provision of troops and civilian experts, making it one of the largest African contributors to UN missions.
In advocating for reform of the Security Council, Badaru called for fair and permanent representation of Africa, in order to deepen global peace and security. This demand reflects Nigeria’s desire to ensure effective inclusion of African voices in international security decisions.
The Minister of Defence also underscored the imperative of strengthening military forces in Africa to combat terrorism and regional instability. He advocated for the operationalization of the African Standby Force, a key initiative aimed at developing a professional army capable of confronting transnational threats.
Thus, Mohammed Badaru’s speech highlights the importance of African engagement in international peacebuilding, while highlighting the challenges to be addressed in strengthening regional and global security. Nigeria positions itself as a major player in the promotion of peace and security, and calls for enhanced cooperation to address current security challenges.