In a development that will surprise many Nigerians, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Leo Irabor, has disclosed that the Nigerian government spent $8bn to restore peace in Liberia.
Irabor disclosed this while delivering his keynote remark at the event to mark the 75th-year celebration of the United Nations peacekeeping operations on Wednesday.
According to him, Nigeria’s active participation in peacekeeping missions had helped save countless lives and restore peace and stability to many countries over the decades.
He said:
“Since the first engagement of troops of our Armed Forces in the Congo in 1960, Nigeria has been unequivocally committed to the principles and objectives of the United Nations. It has significantly contributed to 41 peacekeeping operations worldwide.
“Ever since, over 200,000 Nigerian troops have served in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide and Nigerian senior military officers have commanded some of these missions.
“Similarly, under regional and sub-regional cooperation, Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping operations in field missions in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Darfur and Sierra Leone and has contributed a lot in terms of finance, logistics, troops and civilian experts, making her one of the most significant African troops and civilian police contributors to UN missions.
“It is noteworthy that in addition to the loss of lives and injuries to personnel, the ECOMOG, a regional interventionist mediation force advocated to end the protracted Liberian civil war, was operated at an estimated cost of USD 8 billion to the Nigerian government.”
