The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to improving humanitarian access as part of its counter-insurgency operations.
The move is aimed at strengthening civilian protection, securing humanitarian aid corridors and supporting the resettlement of conflict-affected communities across Nigeria’s North-East.
The commitment was reiterated when the COAS received 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.
According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the meeting underscored the Army’s resolve to deepen collaboration with UN OCHA in promoting humanitarian assistance alongside ongoing security operations in the region.
Lieutenant General Shaibu described the Army’s partnership with UN humanitarian agencies as a critical element of ongoing stabilisation efforts, noting that secure humanitarian access remains essential for consolidating military gains, facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons and restoring normal life in conflict-affected communities.
The COAS assured the delegation that the Nigerian Army would continue providing security for humanitarian workers, relief materials and essential supplies, particularly along operational corridors serving vulnerable communities. He acknowledged the security challenges associated with the ongoing decongestion of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and community resettlement in Borno State, stressing that the Army would sustain close coordination with humanitarian organisations throughout the process.
To strengthen humanitarian operations, Lieutenant General Shaibu directed the Theatre Commander to reinforce security along vulnerable supply routes, especially the Dikwa–Gamboru Ngala corridor, where terrorist remnants continue to threaten humanitarian movements.
He also called for stronger convoy protection, enhanced operational coordination and innovative force protection measures while encouraging UN OCHA to improve forward logistics planning through local warehousing and broader implementation of its Humanitarian Reset Initiative.
In her remarks, the Head of Office of UN OCHA, Miss Danielle Parry, commended the Nigerian Army for consistently supporting humanitarian operations across the North-East despite increasingly constrained global humanitarian funding. 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 humanitarian access and community recovery.
Miss Parry appealed for sustained military support to clear improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance from resettlement areas, strengthen patrols along key rainy-season supply routes and expand security escorts for humanitarian convoys.
She noted that continued civil-military cooperation remains indispensable for protecting vulnerable populations, delivering life-saving assistance and advancing long-term recovery, peace and development across Nigeria’s North-East.
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