The participants included 24 legal experts from 15 law schools and representatives of the federal Ministry of Justice, the National Universities Commission and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution. The changing patterns of conflicts and the failure of governments, parties to conflicts, private military companies and others to adhere to and enforce the principles of humanitarian law were discussed.

Law professor Yemi Akinseye George noted that "the emergence of transnational armed groups, the trend towards privatization of traditional military activities, the existence of several failed States and the growing involvement of armed groups in armed conflict pose considerable challenges to international humanitarian law."

The ICRC's collaboration with Nigerian academics, which dates back to 1996, ties in with its mandate of promoting the inclusion of humanitarian law in the curriculum of institutions of higher learning. "This is an important workshop because it provides an opportunity for us law teachers to humble ourselves once a year and update our knowledge. Nigeria has yet to incorporate the provisions of instruments of international humanitarian law in domestic legislation," said Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.

As a result of the relationship between the ICRC and Nigerian universities, nine law schools offer international humanitarian law as a separate course. The ICRC has donated complete international humanitarian law libraries to five of the law schools. In addition, the organization has sponsored specialized training for eight law lecturers overseas and arranged for six law students to take part in the moot court competition of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The ICRC’s primary focus in Nigeria is to spread knowledge and promote implementation of international humanitarian law. In addition, it cooperates with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to provide protection and assistance for victims of violence and natural disasters. The Nigerian government and the ICRC signed a headquarters agreement in 1988.