By Femi Oyelola
As the world marked the International Day of Peace, on the 21st of September Stakeholders in Nigeria have called for tolerance to push the United Nations’ drive for tolerance and cease-fire.
International Day of Peace (IDP) or World Peace Day is celebrated every year on 21 September throughout the world. The day has been established by the UN General Assembly and is dedicated to promoting peace within communities, strengthening the ideals of peace, and fostering a culture of non-violence and ceasefire across the globe the
The 2023 Theme is “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals.”
Nigeria as a country is being threatened by some security challenges that make peaceful coexistence impossible.
The North West is bedeviled with banditry, Kidnapping farmers/Headers crisis, and cattle rustling. There is also the case of internet fraud and recently the Kaduna state police Command clipped down on some cultists in Graceland Zaria who are performing initiation for new members.
The North Central is not different from the North West part of the country. The states in the region also have their share of banditry, Kidnapping farmers/Headers crisis, and cattle rustling. This, coupled with the ethnic, and religious crisis. The case of the Magu Local government area of Plateau State easily comes to mind as the killing there seems to continue despite the tireless efforts of security operatives
The Northeast situation looks more complicated because of the Boko Haram insurgency, which has devastated the region and defied the belief that beyond the Boko Haram insurgency lie the consequences and implications of the sect on religious relations and public perceptions of unity and statehood.
Despite a stronger army and police presence, Boko Haram has continued to strengthen its positions and carried out increasingly strong raids.
The South East is characterized by rising insecurity in the area such as kidnappings and wanton killings Challenges in the region
Many Nigerians have decried the rising insecurity in the region. A situation that has brought economic activities in the zone to a halt, Without mincing words, the South East region has, of late, been affected by insecurity hitherto unknown in that part of the country.
Revived Biafran secessionist activities have escalated in recent years, leading to violent clashes between Nigeria’s security forces and militia groups resulting in dozens of deaths. Well known for its underground radio presence in the South East, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) established what it calls the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in December 2020 to act as a paramilitary force in the region.
Some criminal elements have likely increased the insecurity in the area. The general unemployment and poverty in the region also have contributed to the festering insecurity in the South East
The Southwest Security Network Agency codenamed emoticon recently listed internet fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo-boys’ as a new emerging security menace in the Southwest region and kidnapping, and killings have remained rampant in the region as well as cultist activities.
Kidnap is a major threat to personnel in the South-South region. In states like Rivers, Delta, and Edo kidnap poses a significant threat oil theft and illegal refineries are
Following the above challenges many opined that Nigeria stands to benefit as a nation when individuals imbibe the culture of peaceful coexistence, saying Nigeria as a nation can actualize its enormous potential m when the culture of peace and peaceful coexistence is imbibed by all and sundry.
At a forum in Kaduna
. Peace Ambassadors and relevant Stakeholders in Kaduna state have joined the rest of the world to mark the 2023 International Day of Peace,
The stakeholders: ActionAid Nigeria through her phase III project, System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE III) in partnership with Global Peace Development (GPD), Kaduna State Ministry for Culture and Tourism, and Mercy Corps, among other Sister agencies converged in Kaduna on Thursday, advocating for a violent free society through Cultural Peace Fiesta.
The program coordinator of ActionAid Nigeria, SARVE III project, Mr. Aliyu Adamu, said youth constitutes 70% of the population in Kaduna state and by extension, Nigeria, and therefore the major focus of ActionAid Nigeria is to see that young people are engaged in the different craft for self-reliance.
Adamu explained “If you look at the state and even Nigeria as a whole, youths are the majority and they are the ones who are on the frontline of being vulnerable to radicalization.
“One of the major causes is idleness. if the youths are idle, the tendency for them to be violent, and destructive and cause other mayhem and conflict in the community is very high.
“That’s why one of our engagements is to see how we can engage youths for economic development by engaging them to be self-reliant as this will take them away from other violent extremism such as taking drugs and other violent activities.
“For the SARVE III program, in Kaduna state, we have enrolled 300 youths both male and female to see how we can train them on skills acquisitions that have to do with livelihood components in terms of agriculture value change and that is one of our strategies looking at that to support the government and provide the livelihood and provide job opportunities for the Youths.” He said.
Appreciating the relevant stakeholders in their efforts to mitigate violent extremism in the state, the Executive Governor of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani said his administration will continue to partner with other peace-loving stakeholders in the pursuance of lasting peace in the state.
Senator Uba Sani represented by his Special Adviser on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Atiku Sankey, said his administration recognizes the invaluable role played by the traditional institution because they serve as vital links between the government and the people.
He further noted that knowledge and wisdom are invaluable in maintaining peace and security in every society, and therefore he will tackle poverty head-on, through inclusive policies and programs, and ensure that no one is left behind, even as his government will remain committed to addressing insecurity and build sustainable peace and development, by empowering individuals and communities, fostering an environment of opportunity and growth
“As the world celebrates this day; commemorating the International Day of Peace, a day established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly which was two decades later unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of “non-violence and cease-fire” by the UN General Assembly” the statement reads.
Noting the significance of the theme ‘Action for Peace, Our Ambition for The Global Goals’, for this year’s celebration, he said it will foster a culture of peace and non-violence across global communities as well as create awareness about the disastrous effects of conflicts, wars, and violence, thereby encouraging the adoption of cease-fire initiatives.
“The main significance of celebrating the International Day of Peace Day or World Peace Day is to foster a culture of peace and non-violence across global communities. It creates awareness among people about the disastrous effects of conflicts, wars, and violence, thereby encouraging them to adopt cease-fire initiatives is celebrated on this day 21st of September
The International Day of Peace is recognized to educate people about the importance of peaceful coexistence and conflict prevention. The day was founded with a strong aim to create a non-violent and harmonious world. International Day of Peace provides a platform for people and communities to show their contribution towards developing a peaceful world for all and Nigerians do not need any preacher from the moon to tell them to imbibe the culture of peaceful coexistence because that is the key to unity development and prosperity of the country.
