Egbetokun, Osaghae Restate Nigeria’s Commitment to Global Peace Operations
By: Sesan Rufus Awobiye
The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership in international peacekeeping and global policing with the hosting of a two-day international symposium titled “The Nigeria Police and the Peace Process in Africa.”
The symposium, held in Lagos, brought together diplomats, scholars, security experts, senior police officers, representatives of foreign missions and members of the media to examine Nigeria’s contributions to peace operations and the evolving role of policing in conflict and post-conflict environments.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director-General of NIIA, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, described the Nigeria Police Force as “Africa’s showcase police force,” citing its extensive and consistent participation in international peace operations for more than six decades.
Osaghae noted that Nigeria’s policing contributions to global peace began shortly after independence, with the deployment of Nigerian police officers to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Congo in 1960.
He said Nigerian police officers have since served in numerous peace missions across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, including East Timor, Kosovo, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan and the Czech Republic, adding that Nigeria’s closest global peer in peacekeeping policing is India.
According to him, many Nigerian police officers who participated in peace missions later rose to senior leadership positions under the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS frameworks, reflecting the professionalism and competence of the force.
Osaghae also announced plans by the Institute, in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force, to establish an International Centre for Peacekeeping and Policing, as well as an annual special lecture series on police and peacekeeping at the NIIA.
He urged Nigerians to support the police, stressing that the quality of policing in any country reflects the state of its society.
“To have a better police, you need a better society. The police is a mirror of our development at any point in time,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion, Prince Dr Adewale Adebayo, traced the historical evolution of the Nigeria Police from its establishment in Lagos in 1861 to its formal emergence as a national force in 1930.
He said the Nigeria Police has always maintained an international outlook, shaped by Nigeria’s economic, political and democratic development, adding that effective policing requires sustained investment, capacity building and strong political will.
“Good policing costs money. Forensics, investigations, technology and training are expensive. You cannot expect world-class policing without serious investment,” Adebayo said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to international peacekeeping, describing it as a core component of the country’s multilateral obligations.
Egbetokun said peacekeeping goes beyond the absence of armed conflict, stressing that it involves creating conditions that promote human dignity, democratic governance, development and justice.
He disclosed that since Nigeria’s first police deployment to the UN mission in the Congo in 1960, the Nigeria Police Force has maintained uninterrupted participation in peace operations under the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS.
Countries where Nigerian police officers have served include Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Western Sahara, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Haiti, Cambodia and Afghanistan.
The IGP highlighted the deployment of Nigeria’s first Formed Police Unit in 2004 as a major shift from observer roles to more robust, mandate-driven policing in peace operations.
He outlined five key areas of Nigeria’s contribution to modern peacekeeping: protection of civilians and community security; rule of law and institutional capacity building; electoral and democratic security; specialised policing capabilities; and leadership within global policing architecture.
Egbetokun acknowledged emerging security challenges, including violent extremism, cybercrime and transnational organised crime, noting that these threats require reform, innovation and stronger international partnerships.
He concluded that Nigeria’s future relevance in global peacekeeping depends on sustained domestic police reform, institutional modernisation, accountability and respect for human rights.
The symposium reaffirmed Nigeria’s strategic role in shaping peacekeeping and policing efforts in Africa and beyond, while underscoring the importance of strong partnerships between academic institutions and security agencies.
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