FG to establish civilian demining squads to combat IED menace

He also advocated for mine clearance education, adding that a simple awareness campaign in a village could make the difference between life and death.

"When communities understand the risks and know how to respond, this step can be drastically improved. Ultimately, our collective effort must restore hope and normalcy.

"We must envision a Nigeria where children can walk to school without fear, where farmers can safely return to their land, and where communities can rebuild without the legal threat of explosive remnants of war," the Minister said.

Musa noted that in recent years, non-state actors, particularly in terrorism-affected areas, have deployed IEDs that continue to endanger lives even after active hostilities have subsided.

"In several communities in the northeast, farmland that once sustained families is now abandoned because it is suspected to be contaminated," he said.

“A farmer who simply wishes to cultivate his land ends up triggering an explosive device.

"Similarly, children walking to school or playing in open fields unknowingly face life-threatening danger like the video we saw. These are non-distant possibilities. They are real. Every day risk is borne by our citizens.

The Minister said it was in response to such realities that Nigeria acceded to the Ottawa Convention and established the National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) to coordinate humanitarian demining efforts and relieve the armed forces of purely civilian-focused clearance responsibilities.

He said, “Accordingly, the NMAC is mandated to accredit mine action operators, tax and assure quality in clearance operations, develop standard operating procedures, and deliver explosive and non-risk education.

“The Centre also supports capacity building for security institutions in IED, clearance, and humanitarian national data through information management systems of mine action.

"Through effective risk education, a child in a rural community can learn to identify suspicious objects and avoid them, thereby preventing tragic incidents. Likewise, structured data management enables us to map contaminated areas accurately and prioritise clearance operations where they are most urgently needed.”

He stressed that the workshop is expected to produce a robust legislative framework to strengthen NMAC's operations, adding that as stakeholders, "we share the collective responsibility to eliminate the menace of anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices."

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) representative, Edwin Faigmane, said the UN is committed to supporting Nigeria achieve Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

He said the UN, the British, and the Japanese governments have been training Nigeria's police force and Nigeria's security and civil defence to conduct search and destroy operations of IEDs.

"Right now, we have the capacity, or we have trained enough officers who have two search teams and two DOD and IED disposal teams from the civil defence and from the police. Once the equipment arrives, we can hopefully start operations," he said.

The representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Abayomi Adeomi, said the workshop reflects a strong national commitment to addressing one of the most pressing humanitarian and security challenges confronting the region.

He said the region witnesses an alarming proliferation of explosive hazards, including mines, unexploded bombing houses, and improvised weapons devices.

These weapons, according to him, continue to inflict devastating humanitarian consequences, killing civilians, displacing communities, disrupting livelihoods, and impeding post-conflict recovery and development.

"The increasing use of improvised war devices, otherwise known as IEDs, by non-state actors, particularly in asymmetric conflict situations, has significantly altered the nature of the security in our region," he said.

He said these devices are not only tools of violence but also instruments of fear, designed to undermine state authority, restrict mobility, and weaken social cohesion.

Adeomi said, "Beyond the heavy impact, explosive hazards also have long-term, zero-weakening impacts. They contaminate farming areas, limit access to infrastructure, obstruct mining access, and delay construction efforts.

“As such, human action is not only a security priority, it is a fundamental development and humanitarian imperative.”

He said ECOWAS in recognition of the importance of the threats, will support its members to achieve a mine-free region.

"I would like to emphasise that ECOWAS committees stand ready to support Nigeria and every other core university in translating these outcomes into concrete actions that will enhance national capabilities and capacities and contribute to regional stability," Adeomi said.