Army War College Nigeria Hosts Maiden Seminar On Nigeria’s ECOMOG Operations In Liberia and Sierra Leone

Army War College Nigeria Hosts Maiden Seminar On Nigeria’s ECOMOG Operations In Liberia and Sierra Leone

The Army War College Nigeria (AWCN) held its maiden seminar on Nigeria’s participation in ECOMOG operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, at the TYB Hall in Asokoro, Abuja. The landmark event brought together military scholars, veterans, strategic thinkers, and participants of AWCN Course 9/2025 to critically examine Nigeria’s pivotal role in restoring peace in the West African sub-region.

The seminar, themed “Evaluating ECOMOG’s Strategic Interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone: Successes and Challenges,” aimed to draw lessons from Nigeria’s peace enforcement operations under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). It forms part of Module 6 of the AWCN curriculum, which now includes Nigeria’s regional military engagements alongside the Nigerian Civil War.

The Special Guest of Honour, Major General Steven Guar (rtd), in his remarks, commended AWCN for reawakening interest in Nigeria’s military history and regional peacekeeping legacy. In his keynote address, he stressed the importance of studying historical military engagements to gain insights for tackling contemporary security challenges.

Quoting Winston Churchill and philosopher George Santayana, Maj Gen Guar emphasized that nations that fail to learn from their history are bound to repeat past mistakes. He lauded the inclusion of ECOMOG operations in the AWCN curriculum as a timely and strategic addition to the professional development of mid-level military leaders.

In his welcome remarks, the Commandant of the Army War College Nigeria, Maj Gen Umar Muhammed Alkali, highlighted the significance of the seminar as the first of its kind in the College’s history. He noted that AWCN Course 9/2025 comprises 80 participants from the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as allied officers from Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Maj Gen Alkali explained that the seminar aligned with the Chief of Army Staff’s vision of transforming the Nigerian Army into a well-motivated, combat-ready force capable of operating in a joint and multi-agency environment. He emphasized that Nigeria’s ECOMOG engagements serve as a case study in regional security cooperation, peace enforcement, and conflict resolution.

The Guest Speaker, Professor PI Ukase, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on *“Regional Security Dynamics and ECOMOG’s Role in Stabilizing West Africa: Lessons Learned from Effective Peace Enforcement and Conflict Resolution in Liberia and Sierra Leone.”* His paper generated engaging discussions among the panel of discussants and participants, who shared experiences and perspectives on operational effectiveness and strategic planning in multinational peace operations.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the Deputy Commandant and Director of Studies AWCN, Brigadier General OI Odigie. He expressed deep appreciation to the Special Guest of Honour, the guest speaker, panelists, and all attendees for their contributions. He described the seminar as a historic milestone in the College’s academic and professional development efforts, while urging participants to internalize the lessons and apply them in future operations.

Highlights of the seminar included the presentation of souvenirs to the guest speaker and Special Guest of Honour, as well as group photographs to commemorate the successful event.