The Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Major General Adekunle Adebayo Adeyinka, recently delivered a lecture titled ‘African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA)/African Standby Force (ASF)’ to participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 10 of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture, held at the NWCN Auditorium, provided course participants with an overview of the continental mechanisms established by the African Union (AU) to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts, as well as the role of the ASF in enhancing Africa’s capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to emerging peace and security challenges.
Major General AA Adeyinka explained that the APSA represents the framework through which the AU and Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms coordinate efforts to prevent conflicts, manage crisis and promote sustainable peace and security on the continent. He noted that the APSA is anchored on a number of key institutions and mechanisms, including the Peace Security Council, Panel of the Wise, Continental Early Warning System, African Standby Force and the Peace Fund. He further stressed that the effectiveness of these mechanisms largely depends on political commitment, institutional coordination, adequate funding and the capacity of member states to translate continental decisions into practical actions. Speaking on the ASF, the Guest Speaker described the ASF as a critical component of APSA that is designed to provide the AU with credible and rapidly deployable capability for peace support operations, humanitarian actions, and disaster managements. The very senior officer also underscored the importance of jointness, interoperability, professional military education, strategic leadership and effective civil-military cooperation in enhancing the success of African-led peace and security initiatives.
In his closing remarks, the Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral MA Muye appreciated the Guest Speaker for his depth of knowledge, professional insights and practical perspectives shared with the NWC 10 participants. He encouraged the course participants to critically reflect on the lessons from the lecture and relate them to Nigeria’s strategic interests and longstanding contributions to regional and international peace support operations, with a view to applying the knowledge gained in future as operational-level commanders.
