Nigeria Tasks Security Council on Peackeeping Financing
NIGERIAN says it is  imperative that the United Nations Security  Council moves quickly to endorse a financing option that guarantees the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of funding African Union  peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Henry Ajumogobia stated this at an African Union Peace keeping meeting at the United Nations recently.
Regretting that  financing AU peacekeeping operations remains a daunting challenge Ajumogobia however pointed out that “as the Prodi report has reminded us, “financing options are not difficult to identify”.   According to him, “the problem of financing lingers because we the stakeholders have failed to adopt the far reaching and revolutionary alternatives required.” Said the Nigerian foreign minister, “our recognition of the critical role of financial resources in determining the success or failure of any peacekeeping operation, not least, an AU-led operation, demands a different financing model, given that the current financial frameworks for partnership in peacekeeping are not conducive to building a sustainable long-term strategy.”
Commenting on the general challenges of peace keeping operations on the continent, Ajumogobia told his audience made up of foreign ministers of other African Countries that     Nigeria’s experience in Sierra Leone and Liberia, has taught myriad lessons in the challenges of regional peacekeeping.  which are subsumed into  three core areas of financing, equipping and mission support arrangements. 
According to him, even with the best of intentions, the AU is but a cog in the wheel of our collective security system facing multiple demands to deploy, mediate or support post-conflict peace processes across a vast and diverse continent. 
These demand, he said placed upon the AU, far outweigh its resources and current capacities to effectively respond.  The consequences of this include mission failure, increased instability, retarded economic development and a reluctance among potential partners to contribute to what is perceived to be a failing system.