The Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre has organised a training for its personnel on the prevention of the recruitment and use of children as soldiers in armed conflicts.
The course, which is in collaboration with the African Peace Support Trainers Association Cameroon and the Dallaire institute, Canada was designed to provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge required to understand the impact of the use of child soldiers.
Addressing participants at the end of the two weeks training, Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai international Leadership and Peace keeping Centre Jaji, Major General James Ataguba explained that the training was also aimed at equipping officers to effectively teach and train personnel on the use of children in armed conflicts, as well as be good ambassadors of the centre and the Dallaire institute.
He urged the participants to make good use of the skills and expertise learnt to reflect their performance and conduct in future deployments.
Earlier, the event was opened by signing a tri-party international memorandum of understanding between the centre, African Peace support trainers association and the Dallaire institute.
Speaking during the signing of the MOU via virtual conferencing, Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Farouk Yahaya said the outcome of the partnership would bring to the fore, the menace of recruitment and use of children as soldiers in armed conflicts, as well as improve the quality of trainers of all parties.
The Army Chief explained that the use of children in armed conflicts has increased significantly, with over one hundred percent rise in the last nine years, and almost thirty thousand verified cases.
General Yahaya noted that the act tends to create a cycle of violence where innocent children are indoctrinated, and inherit the culture of violence.
A total of thirty personnel participated in the training.
Usman Sani.