Institute Seeks Deployment Of Military Veterans For Security

The Mediation Training Institute of Nigeria has canvassed the integration of military veterans into Nigeria’s security framework, particularly in intelligence gathering and as first-line responders to emerging threats.

The institute’s president, Segun Ogunyannwo, made the call yesterday, during a nationwide training initiative in Abuja to equip military veterans with mediation and alternative dispute resolution skills.

Ogunyannwo said the programme, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and Veterans Association and supported by the Defence Headquarters, aims to train and certify 100 veterans in each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said that, due to their training and presence across communities, veterans are well-positioned to contribute to intelligence gathering and local security efforts.

“Veterans are everywhere in this country. Wherever they are, once there’s an issue, they can respond adequately. They can serve as first-line responders and assist significantly in intelligence gathering,” he said.

According to him, the initiative seeks to transition veterans from purely kinetic methods of conflict resolution to non-kinetic approaches, such as mediation, thereby enhancing grassroots peacebuilding efforts.

“They have a lot of experience from their years in service. What we are doing is to strengthen their capacity by introducing mediation skills that will enable them to resolve disputes peacefully and promote harmonious coexistence,” Ogunyannwo added.