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UK Government and UNMAS Enhance Safety Training for Nigerian Security Forces

Written by Jerry Alomatu on October 21, 2024

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In a significant effort to bolster community safety, the United Kingdom Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), has successfully conducted Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) training for 75 officers from the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The training, which concluded on October 4, 2024, took place in Maiduguri. Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, the Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer at the British High Commission in Abuja, confirmed the successful completion of the program in a statement released on Monday.

This initiative aims to equip NPF and NSCDC officers with critical skills to educate communities at risk about the dangers associated with unexploded ordnance, thereby reducing the likelihood of casualties.

The trained officers will be dispatched to vulnerable regions to share vital information that could save lives.

At the closing ceremony, John Sanderson, the Human Security Adviser at the British High Commission, underscored the importance of the training: “This training is critically important. Police and Civil Defence officers will now be able to deploy to prioritised locations to raise awareness among community members about the risks of explosive ordnance. This will help to enhance human security in high-risk areas affected by conflict.”

Edwin Faigmane, Chief of the UNMAS Mine Action Programme in Nigeria, remarked on the collaboration, stating, “Working with the NPF and NSCDC enables us to deliver these essential life-saving messages in hard-to-reach areas. It also builds sustainability, as the NPF and NSCDC will be present in these areas, working with communities to better protect people from the dangers posed by explosive ordnance.”

Highlighting the benefits of the training, NSCDC Commandant Abdulkadir Sulu noted, “Acquiring EORE will not only enhance the effectiveness of NSCDC personnel in helping communities affected by explosive remnants of war to stay safe, but it will also significantly contribute to ensuring the safety of our personnel and their families.”

Moreover, Commissioner of Police Patrick Atayero announced the official launch of the newly established Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) training school in Maiduguri. He expressed gratitude to UNMAS and the UK Government for their support, describing the initiative as a “milestone” in promoting a safer environment in northeastern Nigeria.