IPCR urges National Assembly to strengthen peace legislation

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution has called on the National Assembly to strengthen legislation that promotes social cohesion and conflict-sensitive governance as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s growing security and social challenges.

The Director-General of the IPCR, Joseph Ochogwu, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at a media briefing to herald the 2026 International Day of Peace.

Ochogwu also called on the Federal and state governments to prioritise peace-building in budgetary allocations and policy design, while urging security agencies to deepen non-kinetic and community-centred approaches to conflict resolution.

The IPCR Director-General said the annual International Day of Peace, marked on September 21, provides an opportunity to reflect on the need to make peace a deliberate and sustained investment.

He said, “The International Day of Peace is in September; we celebrate this annually. It gives us an opportunity to amplify and advocate for peace, not only within Nigeria, but across Africa and globally.

“We are all living witnesses to the crisis in different parts of the world. And also in different parts of Nigeria in terms of conflict. What this day does for us is that it affords us the opportunity to reflect and then to reinforce our collective energy, individual and collective energy, to ensure that we make peace happen.

“Whatever the crisis, there should be always hope for peace.”

According to him, the 2026 theme, “Investing in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere and Every Day,” represents a shift from viewing peace merely as the absence of war to recognising it as a deliberate process requiring sustained investment.

He said Nigeria was facing interconnected challenges, including violent extremism, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, communal tensions, youth restiveness, climate-induced competition over resources, misinformation, disinformation and economic pressures.

Ochogwu said, “These challenges remind us that peace is our most critical infrastructure. Without peace, we cannot have food security. Without peace, we cannot have quality education. Without peace, we cannot have good health care.

“Without peace, it becomes very difficult to attract investment.”

The Director-General identified grassroots governance as critical to conflict prevention and resolution, noting that strengthening local government institutions would bring governance closer to citizens and help address grievances that could fuel violence.

He commended the Federal Government’s efforts towards local government autonomy, saying stronger grassroots institutions would enhance the country’s peace-building efforts.

“The local government system is the front line of any government in conflict management, conflict prevention and conflict resolution. That particular arm of government has been very weak over the years,” he said.

Ochogwu urged state governors and other sub-national actors to strengthen the capacity of local governments to deliver their constitutional mandates.

He also identified youth engagement, skills acquisition and investment in the digital economy as measures capable of providing young Nigerians with alternatives to crime and extremism.

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He highlighted early warning and early response systems, dialogue platforms, community mediation centres, youth engagement hubs, strengthened traditional institutions and psychosocial support systems as critical peace infrastructure requiring sustained investment.

“Therefore, critical peace infrastructure including early warning, early response systems, dialogue platforms, community mediation centres, youth engagement hubs, traditional institution strengthening and psychosocial support systems requires the same serious investment as roads, as power and other critical sectors of our collective human existence,” he said.

The IPCR boss said peace should not be regarded as the sole responsibility of government, urging stakeholders across the country to play their roles in preventing and resolving conflicts.

“Peace is too important to be left alone in the hands of government. I therefore use this opportunity to call on all stakeholders to leverage on their constitutional, moral and spiritual mandate to invest in peace.

“To the National Assembly to strengthen legislation that promotes social cohesion and conflict-sensitive governance. To our security agencies whose sacrifices we sincerely and duely acknowledge to deepen their own non-kinetic approaches and community-centred approaches to resolving issues on the ground.

“To the private sector to invest in peace as a business imperative because no business thrives in chaos,” he said.

He also urged traditional and religious leaders to promote tolerance, civil society organisations, women and youth groups to champion non-violence and inclusion, and the media to promote peace journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting.

On the activities lined up for the 2026 International Day of Peace, the IPCR said the programme would include a commemorative peace prayer at the National Mosque and a similar prayer at the National Christian Centre.

The institute will also hold a peace walk and national peace lecture titled, “Renewed Hope Agenda, Investing in Peace for Democratic Stability: Pathways to Justice and Inclusion Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections.”

The activities will end with a football match at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja.

Ochogwu said the institute was implementing a 2024–2028 strategy anchored on knowledge, people and partnerships to strengthen Nigeria’s peace infrastructure.

He said the institute had trained more than 86 young Nigerians, including corps members and interns, as future peace-builders and was working with stakeholders to mainstream peace education in schools.

He added that the IPCR was strengthening its zonal and state peace-building offices while investing in community resilience through its conflict early warning and early response platform.

Ochogwu urged Nigerians to make peace a daily commitment, saying, “Together, we can build a Nigeria where peace is not an event, but a way of life.

“Speak peace, share peace, fund peace, and teach peace for future generations.”