The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) have solicited the support of the Nigerian Army for their regional stabilisation programme.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, in a statement on Wednesday said the calls were made during courtesy on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru by the organisations.
Yerima said the UNDP delegation was led by its Resident Representative Mohamed Yahya, while the UNOWAS delegation was led by its Senior Political Officer Williams Liforgo in separate visits on Tuesday.
The UNDP Resident Representative Yahya said that the purpose of the visit was to solicit for support from the Nigerian Army in the area of its activities for regional stabilisation strategy.
Yahya also said that the delegation was in Army Headquarters to also chat ways through which the UNDP could do better in support of the objectives of ensuring peace and security in the north-eastern parts of the country.
He said that the UNDP, with the support of Federal and state governments, had developed regional stabilisation facilities with components.
This, according to him, include according to him, Civil Military Coordination that works closely with the Nigerian Army.
He commended the numerous supports the organisation had received from the army so far and urged them not to relent.
Also, the leader of UNOWAS delegation, Liforgo solicited collaboration with army to end regional insecurity around the Lake Chad Basin.
Liforgo said that UNOWAS was established with regional mandate to promote peace and security in West and Central Africa sub regions.
He said that the UN Security Council had mandated UNOWAS to continue to engage the actors and consult further in a bid to explore various means of support to member states and other actors in the sub regions.
This, according to him, is with a view to addressing the security, development and humanitarian challenges.
Responding, Attahiru, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj.-Gen. BI Ahanatu, commended the activities of UNDP in volatile areas such as the North East.
Attahiru assured the team that Nigerian Army would continue to give UNDP all the need support for it to succeed in its mandate as well as in the area of peace and development of the region.
He also pledged to support all UN programmes in tandem with Nigerian Army’s activities towards ending insurgency and all forms of criminality in the sub-region.
