Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno talked about how important it is for countries to work together to protect people during wars.
He said this during a lecture at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) seminar, which was part of the academy’s 60th anniversary celebration. The seminar’s main topic was about keeping civilians safe during conflicts.
Governor Zulum explained that protecting civilians during wars is a big challenge that needs urgent attention from the world.
Even though there are rules and plans to keep civilians safe, they often don’t work well enough. He mentioned that some groups involved in wars don’t follow the rules and end up hurting innocent people.
He also talked about how wars are changing, with different groups getting involved and making it hard to tell who is a civilian and who is a fighter.
This makes it even harder to keep people safe. He said it’s also difficult for aid workers to help people during wars because it’s dangerous for them too.
Governor Zulum believes that to protect civilians during wars, we need to look at all aspects of the problem.
This means we need to use laws, politics, and humanitarian efforts together. He thinks it’s important to make sure everyone follows the rules of war and to punish those who break them. He also said we need to come up with new ways to keep people safe during conflicts.
He mentioned that the world should work together to make sure aid can reach everyone who needs it during wars.
Governments, organizations, and regular people need to work together to make sure everyone follows the rules and finds ways to keep civilians safe.
The Commandant of the NDA, Maj.-Gen. John Ochai, also talked about how the academy has been training officers for Nigeria’s military for 60 years.
He said that even as security challenges change, the academy remains important in keeping the country safe. He mentioned that the academy has trained officers from other African countries too, and they have helped in peacekeeping and other important missions.
He emphasized that the armed forces not only protect borders but also protect civilians. He said the academy is committed to teaching officers to be professional, honest, and loyal to their country.
Lastly, the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, gave a virtual lecture about how women are affected by conflicts and how important it is to protect their rights.
