TAPS International Visit to Nigeria

Recently TAPS International just finished our first trip to visit partners in Nigeria.  Augustine Achu, the Director of Sub-Saharan Africa and South America for TAPS International, spent a week conducting meetings with TAPS International partners, as well as members of the Nigerian government and finally to present at the Boys Champion's Shaping the Future Conference. 

The first stop during the busy week was with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to share the work that TAPS and TAPS International does and to highlight the partnerships that we’ve cultivated both in Nigeria and throughout Africa. 

The next series of meetings was to highlight the work TAPS International does with widows worldwide and to learn more about ways to support military widows and orphans within Nigeria. Pauline K Tallen, the Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development in Nigeria was eager to discuss ways in which TAPS International along with the Military Widows Association of Nigeria could provide support for military widows within Nigeria.

Augustine then continued discussions directly with the National President of the Military Widows Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Veronica Gift Aloko, the surviving spouse of Vice Admiral S. O. Aloko. The Military Widows Association of Nigeria (MIWA) was established by the Ministry of Defense with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2004. The MIWA supports all widows of all the branches of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure immediate stability, care and support system to bear their losses, and to remember and celebrate the life lived by their heroes. TAPS International discussed our current relationship with MIWA and ways to strengthen the work both organizations could do in Nigeria. We then formalized our partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the goal of using our shared knowledge and resources to care for military widows and orphans.  

The next stop was in Enugu, Nigeria to attend the Shaping the Future Conference. Augustine was featured alongside panelists including Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential nominee for the 2023 election as well as Frank Nweke, a governorship nominee for the state governor’s race, and Retired General Chris Eze, former Ambassador of Nigeria to India. Augustine’s panel focused on creating opportunities for youth, gender equality, and women’s inclusion in society. Topics tackled included: What are we doing to prepare the next generation of future leaders? How can we end violence and discrimination against women? What can we do to accelerate gender equity in leadership, workplaces and on the table?

We had an incredibly successful trip to Nigeria and are currently planning our worldwide engagements for 2023. We anticipate another trip to the African continent, visits to partners in Ukraine and Iraqi Kurdistan and more!

If you are interested getting involved with TAPS International, please write to us at global@taps.org.