PHOTO: Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh
Abuja, Nigeria- Liberia’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Al-Hassan Conteh has told graduates of the Nigerian Institute for Security Studies (NISS) that regional integration is an optimal strategy against internal and external threats to the peace and security of African States.
According to the Liberian Ambassador, such a strategy provides economy of scale in trade and joint action against security threats. He added that regionalism works better than individual states’ efforts in combating emerging security problems.
“Integration therefore amalgamates members states into trading blocs that remove tariff and non-tariff barriers thereby affording them an opportunity jointly to address enduring and contemporary challenges to the peace and security, including migration and transhumance”, Ambassador Conteh stated.
A release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says the Liberian envoy’s remarks were contained in his graduation lecture for participants of the Executive Intelligent Management Course (EIMC), 12 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Bwari, a surburb of Abuja.
He gave the graduation lecture to over 60 graduates of the NISS on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, on the theme: “Integration, Peace and Security in Africa: Issues, Challenges and Prospects.”
The NISS invited the Liberian Ambassador to deliver the convocation address, which was scheduled to be delivered by the Ghanaian President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who could not attend due to last minute engagements.
During his graduation speech, Ambassador Conteh acknowledged the ongoing, concrete efforts by Regional Integration Agreements (RIAs) in addressing peace and security for sustainable development in Africa.
“For this to thrive, democratic governance must be scrupulously implemented by putting people at the center of development efforts and aligning development aspirations with Internationally Agreed Goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)”, he added.
The Liberian Ambassador remarked that for peace and security to be sustainable in Africa, African States should complement their constitutional mandates to achieve security for their citizens by collaborating with regional organizations, the international community, and civil society, to combat the threats to national and regional security due to the scarce resources at each State’s disposal.
The over 60 graduates of the NISS who have ended their nine-month course are drawn from the military, para-military, law enforcement, security/intelligence and the Federal Government agencies that are strategic to the security architecture of Nigeria.
As a mark of appreciation to the Ambassador, both the Director of State Services of Nigeria and the Commandant of NISS presented him with engraved plaques with the nomenclatures of their respective institutions.
Meanwhile, the Management of the National Institute for Security Studies has offered scholarship opportunities to Liberia, the release discloses.
The Nigerian-based institute’s offer to Liberia is seen as a continuous collaborative initiative between both countries. The offer is expected to enhance Liberia’s ongoing capacity building program of its security sector reform.
In 2017 a graduating team of 16 participants from the NISS embarked on a week’s study visit to Liberia where they researched the relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government of Liberia and its impacts on development, security and other strategic governance issues.
The NISS is operated by the Department of State Services (DSS) of Nigeria. Its curriculum includes country briefs on security and strategic topics whose effective management provide leadership lessons useful to the participants and Nigeria, the release concludes.