This year's event was attended by 99 senior army, navy and air force officers from Nigeria and other African countries and by six participants from government ministries.

Raoul Bittel, an ICRC adviser, noted that peace-keeping operations are becoming more challenging. In addition to their traditional duties, peace-keepers are increasingly being assigned other complex tasks, such as reforming a State's security sector, training troops and police officers, and furthering the rule of law. Mr Bittel called upon participants to always abide by international humanitarian law.

Major-General B.M. Mongunu, the deputy commandant of the National Defence College, challenged the officers to "always give a hand of support" to the ICRC because "the organization has for decades remained committed to bringing about compliance with the norms of decency in armed conflicts."

The ICRC works closely with the Nigerian armed forces to promote the incorporation of international humanitarian law into military training and operational procedures.