Peace institutions urge justice, jobs and trust to prevent conflict in Nigeria
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung have called for social justice, inclusion, economic opportunity and stronger trust between communities and security agencies to support lasting peace in Nigeria. The appeal was made at the induction of new National Peace Academy practitioners in Abuja.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung have urged Nigeria to place social justice, inclusion and economic opportunity at the centre of efforts to sustain peace. Their representatives said the absence of open violence alone could not guarantee lasting stability. The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja at the fifth induction ceremony of members of the National Peace Academy.
The event inducted professionals from public and private institutions, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Ports Authority and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. IPCR Director-General Joseph Ochogwu said exclusion, inequality and perceived injustice could leave societies vulnerable to renewed conflict. He described the induction as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s professional peace architecture and build capacity for conflict prevention and resolution.
Ochogwu urged the inductees to act as agents of dialogue, reconciliation and de-escalation in their organisations and communities. He said the value of the programme would be measured by conflicts prevented, disputes resolved, relationships restored and institutions strengthened, rather than by the certificates awarded. FES Nigeria Country Representative Lennart Oestergaard said poverty, inequality, exclusion and lost livelihoods could fuel conflict and make recruitment into armed groups easier.
He described decent work for young people as both an economic and peacebuilding measure, given the role of youth in Nigeria’s population and their vulnerability to recruitment. Oestergaard also called for greater trust between security forces and communities, saying military and police operations could not independently deliver lasting security. He identified mediation, early warning, women’s participation, regional cooperation and effective peacebuilding institutions as additional priorities.
On the 2027 elections, Oestergaard said credible, peaceful and inclusive polls would provide an important avenue for resolving disputes over power and resources. He urged the newly inducted practitioners to apply their knowledge across government, security agencies, universities, communities and civil society.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.