On Friday, 21 August 2026, the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai CFR (Retired) delivered a strategic lecture titled ‘Introduction to Conflict Resolution Mechanisms’, to participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 10 of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture, held at the College Auditorium was part of the Peace Support Operations Module for the Course. It was designed to introduce NWC 10 participants to conflict resolution mechanisms and share practical experiences drawn from the Guest Speaker’s extensive military and peace support engagements.
General ML Agwai CFR (Retired) explained that conflict resolution encompasses a range of approaches aimed at addressing the root causes of disputes, managing tensions and restoring sustainable peace. He distinguished between conflict prevention, conflict resolution, conflict management, and conflict transformation, noting that the choice of an appropriate mechanism should be guided by the nature and stage of the conflict, the actors involved, power relationships, willingness to negotiate, legitimacy, cultural context, as well as available resources and capacity. Speaking on the military application of conflict resolution, the former Chief of Defence Staff identified negotiation, liaison, community engagement, civil-military coordination and protection of civilians as important tools available to commanders. He cautioned that poorly managed conflicts could result in civilian casualties, displacement, loss of public confidence and increased recruitment into armed groups. He further highlighted problem-solving processes, confidence-building measures, restorative and transitional justice, amongst others as important approaches to addressing and resolving conflicts.
Drawing from his experiences in international peace support operations and conflict resolution engagements, particularly in Sierra Leone and Darfur, the seasoned Guest Speaker underscored the importance of dialogue, confidence-building, disarmament, reintegration, stakeholder engagement and reconciliation in restoring peace in conflict-affected societies. He further observed that contemporary insecurity manifests in diverse forms, including physical, economic, digital, social, and family, thereby requiring leaders to adopt broader and more adaptive approaches to security challenges. In his concluding remarks, the seasoned Guest Speaker stressed the importance of visionary leadership in navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain security environment. He noted that leaders must be capable of seeing beyond immediate challenges and anticipating emerging threats and opportunities. He also highlighted changing leadership challenges, evolving social structures and changing economic dynamics as major factors shaping the contemporary operating environment.
In his closing remarks, the Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral MA Muye appreciated the seasoned Guest Speaker for the insightful and thought-provoking lecture describing it as ‘academy plus experience’. He noted that General ML Agwai’s decades of military and international service made him an exceptional resource person for the lecture. The Commandant thereafter commended the seasoned Guest Speaker for his sacrifices and courage during peace support operations, particularly his engagements with parties to conflicts and rebel groups under difficult and challenging circumstances.
