𝗔 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴! 𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The Executive Director of CAFOR, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗲, was pleased and very honored to receive a high-level visit to his office by a delegation of 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀, including a 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, who paid him a 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dr. Cole described the encounter as to regional peace and security. Their visit centered on exploring 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗔𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 in areas of mutual concern—particularly 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 in regions affected by insecurity.

During the strategic discussions, Dr. Cole learned that the officers are directly involved in 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, especially in areas plagued by 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, and insurgent threats like those posed by Boko Haram. The delegation expressed a strong interest in CAFOR’s advocacy for 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, and welcomed future cooperation on initiatives that support 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵.

The delegation toured the African Union complex, photographing the AU emblem, Nelson Mandela Plenary Hall, and the continental flags, symbolizing unity, peace, and development.

Dr. Cole affirmed CAFOR’s readiness to partner with Nigerian paramilitary and defense bodies in shaping 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, including workshops and policy dialogues tailored to address 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆.

The visit concluded with mutual expressions of appreciation and a promise to advance this dialogue into tangible frameworks for collaboration shortly.

📍 Location: African Union Commission, Addis Ababa
📅 Date: 11 June 2025
🤝 Focus: Peace Education | Youth Protection | Security Collaboration
NG Delegation: Nigerian Paramilitary Officers + Ministry of Defence Official