By Henry Umoru
ABUJA—PRESIDENT of the Nigeria in Diaspora Organization, NIDO, Namibia chapter, Professor Edosa Omoregie has said that Nigeria as a country has spent $82 million in peacekeeping operations, just as he said that Nigeria has lost about 2000 soldiers and more than $10 billion in the same process in the last five decades.

According to him, the history of Nigeria’s participation in United Nations/African Union peacekeeping operations dates back to 1960 in what was then called Belgian Congo soon after independence.

Professor Omoregie, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Namibia made this revelation when he delivered a paper entitled, “Nigeria’s Foreign Policy” as part of activities to mark Nigeria at fifty in Windhoek, Namibia.

The event was organized by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC in collaboration with the Nigeria High Commission to show case Nigeria’s products and actors/ actresses outside the shores of the country.

Omoregie said:  “Since then, Nigeria has been involved in many UN/OAU peacekeeping operations in many parts of the world, some of which were in Bosnia Herzegovina, Iraq, Kuwait, Western Sahara, Rwanda, Somalia, Mozambique, Cambodia, Lebanon, Angola, Beirut, India and Pakistan.

“Some of Nigerian troops are still serving in many UN/AU missions in places like, Kuwait, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. Over 100,000 Nigerian troops have served in UN/OAU peacekeeping missions around the world, since her first participation in 1960.

Five of these missions were commanded by Nigerian senior military officers, Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Beirut.

“The first major peacekeeping operation undertaken by the Nigerian troops, however, was that of Chad, under the auspices of the OAU. That operation costs Nigeria about $82m. In terms of financial and human lost in all these operations in the last five decades, Nigeria has lost about 2000 of its soldiers and more than $10 billion.

“Today, Nigeria has two contingents operating in peacekeeping missions on the African continent: Liberia, UNMIL; and Darfur, Sudan, UNAMID; contributing more than any other country with a total of over 3,300 troops.”

Technical Aid Corps

Also speaking on the role of Nigeria in the area of Technical Aid Corps, TAC, Professor Omoregie said: “By 2010, more than 30 recipient nations, including Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Gambia and Botswana, have benefited from the Technical Assistance Corps scheme.

“About 2,000 volunteers in the areas of medicine, nursing, law, education, engineering, agriculture, accountancy, and other related fields have contributed their expertise knowledge to the recipient countries. The programme has over the years demonstrated its value as an effective as one of Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.

“Since independence, Nigeria has continuously held an Afrocentric outlook on its foreign policy. Its cornerstone has been Africa, aiding many of its continental neighbours in gaining independence, regulating domestic peace, promoting trade, and earning itself the name: “giant of Africa.”