Peacekeeping operations challenges and economic impacts: a Nigerian perspective

• Autores: Sani Safiyanu, Anthony Rogers, Muhammad Danial Bin Azman
• Localización: Peacekeeping: global perspectives, challenges and impacts / coord. por Pablo Antonio Fernández Sánchez, 2018, ISBN 9781536134315, págs. 565-588
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The United Nations (UN) and, later, regional organisations such as OAU/AU and ECOWAS peacekeeping operations (PKO) have changed significantly since when the Nigeria's first Prime Minister Sir, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, contributed troops to the UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC) in 1960. For more then sixty years, Nigeria has continued to make a giant stride and commitment to UNPKO and, later, to Regional and sub-regional PKOs under the OAU/AU and the ECOWAS. The country has remained one of the largest Nigerian peacekeepers rotated in and out of more than fifty UN and other multilateral government, national defence and security sectors, individual peacekeepers, and private firms or corporations. The vast experience acquired in various PKOs has continued to shape Nigeria's understanding and perception of PKO irrespective of the regime type in Nigeria. The country's effort has faced a stiff opposition and accusation from some of the West African Francophone countries and competition with countries from other sub-regions on the continent. Apart from such outside challenges, internally there are many other problems (such as operational, Contingent Own Equipment (COE) Inadequate training and Corruption e.t.c.) militating against its effort of conduct PKOs. However, despite the challenges, the commitment has continued to endure. The chapter examines the motives behind the country's consistent support to PKOs as well as the challenges it encounters. The chapter found that Economically Nigerian government has lost a lot in PKOs and concluded that lack of sufficient institutional priorities and official policies on PKOs has made it difficult for the country to realize the benefits. Furthermore, multiple rationales are found to be the motivating factors for the country's consistent support to PKOs. Nigeria's peacekeeping effort demonstrates a kind of uniqueness in the sense that as a developing country faced with many challenges. The country has experienced civil war, coups and counter-coups, ethnic and inter-tribal conflicts, regional tension, systemic corruption and economic difficulties. In spite of these challenges the country has been able to forge ahead and become one of the highest contributors to not only regional organisations but to the global one (UN).