The DG of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, has said that informed citizens are key to tackling Nigeria’s growing communal conflicts and keeping the country stable.
Speaking during the fourth induction ceremony of the National Peace Academy on Tuesday in Abuja, Ochogwu highlighted the institute’s role in building human capital for peace.
He said a well-informed population makes it easier for government to make decisions that foster peace.
He said, “what we are doing is providing the right skill set to enable our population to be able to live together peacefully, to equip people who are going to cascade some of this training downward, because the more enlightened citizens we have, the more easier it is for government to actually do the small decisions that we are talking about.”
Ochogwu explained that the training equips participants to apply their skills at multiple levels; from personal and family life to workplaces, places of worship, communities, and even nationally and internationally.
He said the programme teaches participants to base decisions on facts rather than assumptions.
The DG said personal transformation is essential for creating a culture of peace that can extend to families, workplaces, communities, and the nation.
Ochogwu noted that effective conflict management requires both hard and soft approaches.
He said, “What we have done here actually is providing the soft power dimension in terms of the non kinetic training capability of our population to be able to handle certain crises,” he said.
He warned that membership of the Peace Institute MPI is conditional and can be withdrawn if members engage in violence, discrimination, or other behaviours that contradict peace values.
He also emphasized that the MPI is a title earned through rigorous training, not an honorary award.
Speaking on the recent CPC claims made by Donald Trump, the DG said Nigeria’s crises are being managed and that allegations of genocidal acts do not reflect the facts.
He added that the institute relies on partnerships to address violence and prevent further divisions.
He said, “Nigeria has been categorised as a country of particular concern and that is not enough. They talk about genocidal tendencies and all that. But if you look at empirical facts and evidences, it is far from the truth. We have crises, no doubt, and we are managing those crises to the best of our abilities.
“All that we need is about partnerships and collaborations with our other partners to end some of the carnages that are bedevilling us. And not to further create issues that further divide our identity pipelines in the country,” he said.
In his keynote address, Executive Director of the Ubuntu Centre for Africa Peace Building and Development, Oshita O Oshita, said trained peace actors are vital at the community level, where early warning and conflict resolution efforts are most effective.
He acknowledged that political interference sometimes weakens mediation but noted that training political actors gradually will reduce such challenges.
Oshita urged participants to combine knowledge of the past, present, and future to address conflicts effectively, including those arising from environmental degradation and illegal exploitation of resources.
He warned that society risks losing its humanity if violence continues unchecked.
The ceremony concluded with renewed calls for integrity, evidence based action, and commitment from the inductees to use their training to promote peace across Nigeria.
Thirty seven inductees from the military, paramilitary agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector, were inducted into the membership of the peace institute.
