Pillar of Steadiness in West Africa
Hannah Nestor, Fatour Fofana, and Cecilia Erzuah Among Those Praising KAIPTC's Female Leadership Course
Several African peacekeepers have expressed positive feedback about a two-week course on female leadership in peace and security at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana.
Hannah Nestor, a law enforcement expert from Namibia, completed the course and praised its content, stating that she learned a lot and would recommend it to others. Similarly, Fatour Fofana, a police officer from Gambia, and Cecilia Erzuah, a Ghanaian officer, have also expressed positive feedback and would return for the course if given the opportunity.
The KAIPTC was established by the member states of the African Union in response to numerous conflicts in the 1990s. It serves as one of the three Peacekeeping Training Centres of Excellence mandated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to offer specialized training in peacekeeping and Peace Support Operations (PSO) in Africa. The Centre is globally respected, ranked among the top foreign policy and international affairs think tanks for five consecutive years, and notably, it is the first and only African training centre delivering postgraduate programs in peace and security.
The course focuses on the unique challenges and opportunities of female leadership in the field of peace and security. During the course, participants learn how to best address the different competences and requirements of their male and female soldiers, as well as becoming more aware of their responsibility as female leaders.
Over the past 20 years, thousands of security workers have completed similar qualified training measures at the KAIPTC. The Centre's training programs adhere to United Nations standards and address capacity needs of ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), the UN, and individual states.
The KAIPTC includes a training centre and fosters leadership and professional development among young African peacebuilders through initiatives such as the Youth Mentorship Programme, launched in 2025 through the Women Youth Peace And Security Institute (WYPSI).
The KAIPTC was set up to be a peace and safety agency and represents the African Union's efforts to establish their own peace and safety agency. It integrates research with training to continuously inform and improve its professional courses and academic programs.
In conclusion, the KAIPTC's two-week course on female leadership in peace and security is highly regarded among those who have completed it. The Centre continues to play a significant role in training security workers and fostering future leaders in peace and security across Africa.
[1] Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) (n.d.). About KAIPTC. Retrieved from https://www.kaiptc.org/about/
[2] Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) (n.d.). Programmes. Retrieved from https://www.kaiptc.org/programmes/
- Hannah Nestor, despite being a law enforcement expert from Namibia, found tremendous value in the science of leadership, as taught in the Women's Health-and-Wellness and Education-and-Self-Development modules during the two-week course on female leadership at Deutschland.de, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana.
- The KAIPTC, a globally respected educational institution, emphasizes not only personal-growth opportunities but also niche fields such as health-and-wellness, including Women's Health, in their peace and security programs. This holistic approach to training has earned the Centre recognition among the top foreign policy and international affairs think tanks in the world.
- If Fatour Fofana, a police officer from Gambia, or Cecilia Erzuah, a Ghanaian officer, could formulate an educational path, they would likely prioritize resources on the KAIPTC's platform, particularly the Science and Personal-Growth sections, reflecting their positive experiences and enthusiasm for the teachings at the Centre.
