The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protecting civilians and ensuring safe humanitarian access in conflict-affected communities, describing both as critical to achieving lasting peace and stability in the North-East.
According to an official statement signed by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS made the commitment while receiving the Head of Office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) in Nigeria, Miss Danielle Parry, during a courtesy visit to the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Shaibu said the Nigerian Army remains committed to strengthening civil-military cooperation in support of humanitarian operations, noting that guaranteeing safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers is central to the Army’s strategy for consolidating operational gains and facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
He described the longstanding collaboration between the Nigerian Army and United Nations humanitarian agencies as a strategic partnership that has improved humanitarian response, enhanced civilian protection and supported stabilisation efforts across the North-East.
The Army Chief assured the UN delegation that troops would continue to provide security for humanitarian personnel, relief materials and essential supplies, particularly along key operational corridors.
Acknowledging the security challenges surrounding the ongoing decongestion of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and community resettlement in Borno State, Shaibu said the Nigerian Army would continue to work closely with humanitarian organisations to ensure the exercise is conducted in a secure and coordinated manner.
To further strengthen humanitarian operations, he directed the Theatre Commander to reinforce security along vulnerable supply routes, especially the Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala axis, where remnants of terrorist groups continue to threaten humanitarian activities.
He also called for stronger convoy escort arrangements, enhanced force protection measures and closer operational coordination between military formations and humanitarian organisations.
In addition, the COAS encouraged UN-OCHA to improve forward logistics planning through local warehousing and broader implementation of the Humanitarian Reset Initiative to ensure uninterrupted aid delivery despite global funding constraints.
Earlier, the Head of UN-OCHA in Nigeria, Miss Danielle Parry, commended the Nigerian Army for its sustained support to humanitarian operations across the North-East.
She disclosed that nearly six million people still depend on humanitarian assistance and identified insecurity in Gwoza, Bama, Damboa, Dikwa and Monguno as major obstacles to relief operations and the safe return of displaced persons.
Parry appealed for continued military assistance in clearing improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance from resettlement communities, increasing patrols along critical rainy-season supply routes and strengthening security escorts for humanitarian convoys.
She reaffirmed UN-OCHA’s commitment to deepening civil-military coordination and praised the professionalism and sacrifices of Nigerian Army personnel, describing sustained collaboration between the military and humanitarian agencies as essential to protecting vulnerable populations, delivering life-saving assistance and supporting long-term recovery and peacebuilding efforts in the North-East.
