Maryam Aminu
The Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, has praised the outgoing Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in Nigeria, Mr. Trond Jensen, for his outstanding service and partnership as he prepares to exit the country.
Mr. Jensen paid a farewell visit to the OPHK Headquarters in Maiduguri on Thursday, where Major General Abubakar described him as a “dependable ally” in efforts to restore normalcy and rebuild socio-economic life in the North East.
The Commander highlighted the significant impact of OPHK’s collaboration with UN OCHA, especially in non-kinetic operations supporting vulnerable populations. He, however, raised concerns over UN OCHA’s planned drawdown by 2028, warning that reduced operations could hinder malnutrition interventions, vaccination drives, and other essential humanitarian services. He called for proactive steps to fill the looming gaps.
Maj.-Gen. Abubakar reaffirmed OPHK’s commitment to providing a safe operational environment for humanitarian partners and assured that the Command would extend full cooperation to Mr. Jensen’s successor.
In his remarks, Mr. Jensen thanked the Theatre Commander for the strong collaboration, noting that the UN’s planned scale-down is driven by declining global funding rather than improved conditions.
He urged Nigeria to strengthen local capacity and maintain security support for critical humanitarian installations.
Mr. Jensen was accompanied by Mr. Emmanuel Oluwadunsun Ojo, Humanitarian Affairs Officer and Civil-Military Coordinator, OCHA Nigeria. Senior OPHK officers, including the Deputy Theatre Commander and Component Commanders, were also in attendance.
The visit featured signing of the visitors’ book, presentation of souvenirs, and group photographs.
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