The Nigerian military and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have intensified efforts to strengthen the protection of children encountered during military operations by validating new operational tools and procedures.

The initiative formed the focus of a three-day Validation and Institutionalisation Workshop on Operational and Institutional Tools Supporting the Implementation of the Handover Protocol on Children Encountered During Military Operations.

Speaking at the opening in Abuja on Wednesday, UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Child Protection, Natalie McCauley, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening the implementation of the handover protocol signed by Nigeria in 2022.

She said the protocol established clear procedures for the protection, temporary care and timely transfer of children encountered during military operations from military custody to civilian child protection authorities.

According to her, the protocol represents Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring every child encountered during military operations is treated first and foremost as a child with dignity.

Ms McCauley said the government and UNICEF had also developed a 2024–2027 implementation plan to institutionalise the protocol within military doctrine, training and operational practice.

“The objective is clear: to ensure that implementation of the Handover Protocol is fully institutionalised within the systems, doctrine, training and operational practice of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“This workshop is an important step towards that goal. Over the next three days, participants will validate three key operational products – the Early Warning System, Standard Operating Procedures and the Reporting and Monitoring Toolkit,” she said.

She urged participants to provide practical recommendations that would strengthen the implementation of the protocol across the Armed Forces.

The representative of the Ministry of Defence, Maxwell Hedima, said the workshop was designed to validate operational documents that would strengthen child protection during military operations and align them with international standards.

Mr Hedima, an assistant director in the ministry, said participants were selected because of their operational experience, urging them to make practical contributions that would ensure the documents reflected realities in the field.

He said children remained the most vulnerable victims of armed conflicts and humanitarian crises, adding that the federal government was committed to supporting the development of internationally acceptable child protection frameworks while safeguarding Nigeria’s image through professional military operations.

Also speaking, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Shah Muhammad Khan said the handover protocol recognised children formerly associated with armed groups primarily as victims rather than perpetrators.

Mr Khan said the protocol required the military to hand over such children to civilian authorities, mainly the Ministry of Women Affairs, within seven days of being encountered during operations.

He said the ministry subsequently provided interim care, family tracing, psychosocial support, education and vocational training to facilitate their reintegration into society.

According to him, UNICEF’s role is to provide technical support while implementation remains the responsibility of the Nigerian government and the Armed Forces.

He said the workshop was also validating an Early Warning System designed to improve coordination and ensure children encountered during military operations were quickly identified and referred to the appropriate authorities.

Mr Khan said the initiative would strengthen the military’s compliance with international humanitarian standards while promoting the successful reintegration of affected children into their communities.

He added that community acceptance remained essential for sustainable reintegration and long-term peacebuilding.

A participant from the Department of Defence Civil-Military Relations, Victory Gbaraba, described the workshop as timely and necessary.

Ms Gbaraba said the training equipped military personnel with the knowledge required to respond professionally whenever children were encountered during operations.

“The training covers the procedures to follow, reporting mechanisms and the proper handover process to the relevant civilian authorities.

“It is important because the Armed Forces are often the first responders in situations involving children affected by armed conflict,” she said.

She said participants were developing training guidelines that would enable the knowledge gained to be cascaded to personnel across the Armed Forces.

According to her, every service member, from senior officers to junior personnel, must understand the legal and operational requirements guiding the protection of children during armed conflict.

The Ministry of Defence was represented at the workshop, while participants were drawn from the Defence and Services Headquarters as well as training institutions.

(NAN)