The Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN), says it can assist the Nigerian government to tackle the insecurity situation in the country through diplomatic approach.
The President of AFRPN, Ambassador Gani Lawal, stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja ahead of the group’s third annual lecture titled: “The Role of Diplomacy in Combating Terrorism and Insurgency in West Africa.”
Ambassador Lawal said the topic was carefully selected to create opportunity for people to listen to the perspectives of diplomatic professionals who have been in the frontline of combating terrorism and insurgency across the world.
“This will be the third in the series of annual lectures/conference designed to interrogate issues of the moment by experienced practitioners,” he said.
The topic for this year’s lecture is “The Role of Diplomacy in Combating Terrorism and Insurgency in West Africa.”
“This topic has been carefully selected to create opportunity to listen to the perspectives of diplomatic professionals who have been in the frontline of combating terrorism and insurgency,” Ambassador Lawal explained .
He said that a former Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission and immediate past Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, would deliver the lecture, while the chairman of the occasion will be Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Tijjani Muhammed Bande.
The event which will take place in Abuja on July 29,2020, will witness the presence of the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Joy Ogwu; a former High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Dalhatu Tafida, amongst others.
“The Special Guest of Honour is Professor Ibrahim Gambari while the royal father of the day is the 14th Emir of Kano, who is also a patron of our Association,” he stated.
All heads of diplomatic missions in Nigeria and the Chairmen House and Senate committees on Foreign Affairs will also be in attendance.
Ambassador Lawal said all the members of the association both serving and retired were expected to attend the event.
He noted that in furtherance of the collaborative efforts to end the security menace in the country the Commandant of the National Defence College, Comptrollers General of the Nigeria Custom Service and that of the Immigration are also expected to attend the event.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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