Nigeria stands today at a difficult but decisive crossroads in its long history of peace building. At home, the nation continues to grapple with banditry, farmer-herder clashes, insurgency, and communal violence; Abroad, it shoulders the burden of being one of Africa’s foremost contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions, sending troops, resources, and diplomacy to troubled spots across the continent and beyond.
This dual role, peacekeeper abroad, peace seeker at home – has raised a fundamental question: how can Nigeria’s global peacekeeping commitments be translated into meaningful frameworks for domestic conflict resolution?
Nigeria’s Record in Peacebuilding
Over the decades, Nigeria has been at the forefront of peacekeeping operations across Africa. From sending troops to Congo in the 1960s, to its decisive role in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, and its interventions in Darfur and The Gambia, the country has invested human lives, military resources, and diplomatic capital in stabilizing the continent.
Nigeria’s leadership within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) has cemented its reputation as a “big brother” in regional peace efforts. Countless missions have been led or heavily supported by Nigerian forces, often at great cost to the country’s economy and soldiers’ families.
Yet, despite this legacy, Nigeria’s own internal landscape tells a different story, one of insurgency, banditry, farmer-herder clashes, and separatist tensions.
This duality has raised a central question: how can Nigeria continue to lead abroad while struggling to keep peace at home?
Nigeria’s situation is not unique. The United Nations has long stressed that peacekeeping operations succeed only when matched by internal stability within contributing countries.
The African Union has also argued that continental peace depends on the “peace dividend” of its largest states.
In this context, Nigeria’s dual role as a peace contributor and a conflict-affected state is both a strength and a vulnerability.
Its international credibility allows it to influence global security debates, but its domestic troubles weaken the moral authority behind its interventions.
The broader conversation on Nigeria’s peace role aligns with arguments in Uchenna Nwankwo’s recent book, Towards Effective World Security (2025), which notes that “peace is not the absence of conflict, but the deliberate construction of frameworks that prevent disputes from degenerating into violence.”
Nwankwo argues that a nations that aspire to global leadership in peacekeeping must equally invest in preventing the cracks of instability at home.
His observation mirrors Nigeria’s dilemma and the urgency of aligning its international reputation with domestic realities.
Towards Effective World Security highlights this contradiction, noting that “peace cannot be outsourced.”
Nations that lead globally must be examples locally. For Nigeria, this means addressing root causes of conflict, which are; poverty, inequality, ethnic mistrust, and weak governance, with the same urgency it devotes to regional missions.
The IPCR’s Mandate and Nigeria’s Global Role
At the heart of this conversation is the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Nigeria’s foremost research and policy advisory body on peacebuilding.
In a recent interview with Vanguard, Its Director General, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, set the tone by reflecting on how the institute bridges Nigeria’s international peace engagement with local frameworks of conflict resolution.
The DG described how the institute builds capacity for Nigerians in non-violent conflict prevention and resolution through training programs, and are extended to both state and non-state actors.
He noted that while military and security institutions play their role, IPCR complements them by addressing the softer dimensions of peace.
According to him, IPCR’s mandate is to provide advisory services in conflict prevention, resolution, peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peace enforcement, functions that align with the UN system.
He said, “The IPCR is a very unique and innovative creation of the Nigerian government. We work under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that gives us a rare advantage. We operate both within the internal space and the external space.
“We train all stakeholders in conflict management, with emphasis on mediation, negotiation, problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, and consensus building. These are the softer tools of peace, often underrated, but they define what a peaceful world can really look like.
“We provide this level of capacity to agencies, touching on issues like mental health, emotional intelligence, and stakeholder engagement. It may look soft, but it is actually what holds the harder elements together.” He said.
Ochogwu explained research as a critical part of IPCR’s work, stating that the recently completed Strategic Conflict Assessment of Nigeria 2024, a comprehensive 600–700 page document analyses conflict triggers across the country at local, state, and zonal levels.
He said, “This compendium ensures that intervenors don’t act in ignorance. There is a way you can intervene and actually worsen the crisis. That document helps you know who the actors are, the triggers, the past histories of conflict resolution attempts, so lessons can be learned before stepping in.”
“My office is open 24/7 and I answer calls from whoever. You cannot do peace work in exclusion. We partner with community-based organizations, international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and sub-national governments. Everyone has a role to play.”
Challenges of Narratives and Citizens’ Role
But beyond research and training, Dr. Ochogwu pointed to a deeper challenge.
He highlighted that many Nigerians sometimes push negative narratives about Nigeria; For the DG, peace is not an abstract idea but a lived responsibility.
He called for a cultural shift towards problem-solving at every level.
He said, “I think that there are lots of Nigerians who downplay the enormous potential and power of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian states. What they do is that they go to create negative narratives about Nigeria, so that poses a lot of innate challenges for Nigeria. But again, once even foreigners get in contact with you as an individual, they see the enormous talent that Nigerians have.
“So the enormous thing, I think, first and foremost, is Nigerian citizens that send out very wrong narratives about the country. There is no nation state that does not have a problem. Every country in this world has a problem, but nobody is going to celebrate to accept to celebrate yourself.
“So Nigerian citizens must learn to celebrate themselves and wake up every day as a solution provider, not problem generators, to ensure that we solve problems. And if you are not solving problems, it therefore means that you are not doing anything. So each average Nigerian should wake up every morning to solve a problem.Solve personal problems, interpersonal problems, group problems, inter-group problems, and then national problems and international problems, and then we’ll have a better world.
He linked Nigeria’s foreign policy to the UN Charter’s primary objective: international peace and security. “Nigerian foreign policy is founded on peace. We work multilaterally and bilaterally with different institutions to secure peace in Gaza, in Sudan, in the Sahel, and here in Nigeria.”
Aligning International Reputation with Domestic Needs
The DG admitted the paradox of Nigeria’s strong international reputation and its fragile domestic realities.
He argued that bridging this gap requires collective action.
He called on politicians and citizens to see peacebuilding as a shared responsibility.
Joseph said, “I think Nigeria is at the front line of multilateral diplomacy. Nigerian foreign policy aligns significantly with the number one objective of the United Nations, which is promotion and protection of international peace and security. Nigerian foreign policy is founded on peace. So Nigeria is working multilaterally and bilaterally with different institutions, considering the geopolitical dynamics of the current international system, to arrive at peace. Peace in Gaza, peace in Sudan, peace in the Sahel, and peace in Nigeria.
“So Nigeria is actually not resting on its arms, understanding where we stand and what we have, and working through ECOWAS to achieve what we need to achieve. Also working bilaterally with the AEA states to achieve our foreign policy goals in the promotion of peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel. My final summary is that we should all act now for the peace of our nation, the peace of our family, the peace of our society, and the peace of the world.
“And we should all have renewed hope in ourselves, because if you don’t have hope, you can’t have peace. How can you judge the President’s contribution to peace? I can assure Nigerians that if those things get traction, it is peace we are going to see.
“Mr. President also said he was open to constructive criticisms from many Nigerians. So we must learn to constructively criticize our government so that they can pick points from it. Destructive criticism is not going to help anybody.; And I think the excessive politicization by politicians who are not currently in office also is undermining governance in this country. So that is not helpful. That rather stokes conflict.
“So I appeal to politicians in and out of office to please support any government to build a nation, build Nigeria. There is a difference between state building, nation building and politicking. When it comes to nation building and state building, everybody is one. One voice, But when it comes to politics, you can belong to different countries to win. But once somebody has won, we need all the necessary support that is needed to support Mr. President to achieve; Because his achievement is our achievement.”
A Diplomatic Perspective
Speaking with the Conflict Advisor at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the British High Commission in Abuja, Mr. Primah Primdan, said that peace in Nigeria must be driven by local institutions and not imposed from outside.
He explained that while the United Kingdom remains a committed partner, lasting security solutions can only come from Nigerians themselves.
Primdan stressed that the British government’s role is to provide support, expertise, and partnership, while Nigeria charts its own path.
He added that Britain continues to work closely with Nigerian partners on areas such as early warning and early response, as well as supporting peace actors across the country.
According to him, the ultimate goal is to help Nigeria achieve a stable, peaceful future, with citizens embracing dialogue, tolerance, and unity as the foundation for national and global peace.
He said, “And to act for peace, it cannot come from outside. We need national institutions that are prepared and skilled and knowledgeable enough to provide support to the peace that we need in Nigeria.
“We always believe that solutions must be local and localized,and that means for an external actor like the British government, we can only be supporters of Nigeria.And as much as possible, we want those solutions to be locally based. And so for us, we stay in the background and allow Nigeria to chart its course and provide skills and expertise, technical expertise, wherever we can. So definitely, solutions must be local. Nigerians need a security architecture that works for them.
And they can be the only ones who can tell us what that would look like. And so ours is really a supporting role and partnership to say that we are here as friends and partners in progress in peace with the Nigerian government to support and aim towards a peaceful, stable Nigeria.”
Speaking on International conflict, Primah said, “Peace begins with you. So I think the first thing is getting that mindset within us and that knowledge that we are all peace builders, no matter where we find ourselves. Nigerians are brilliant people all over the world.
“And if they carry that mindset of peace-loving people all over the world, I think they would contribute. Wherever we find ourselves, let us live in peace. Let us embrace dialogue, differences of opinions, differences of religion, of ethnicity, belief.”
The Regional Angle: ECOWAS
At the regional level, the Acting Director of the Directorate of Early Warning at the ECOWAS Commission, Ms. Onyinye Onwuka, warned that Nigeria’s peace burden is becoming heavier as internal conflicts intensify alongside its international obligations.
Onwuka stressed that peace-building must be proactive, rooted in justice and inclusive governance, while backed by stronger regional early warning and response mechanisms.
She added that for Nigeria to sustain its reputation as a leading peacekeeper in Africa, it must also expand opportunities for women and young people to play meaningful roles in preventing conflict.
Noting the need for urgency to Nigeria’s domestic situation, She said, “Every day we postpone preventive action, human lives are lost; Nigeria has the highest incidence of death’s we become numb.
“We have to be more proactive. We have to strengthen early warning architecture, we have to strengthen peace building to track substructural conflicts, and that means addressing the root causes. Don’t shy away from it; Tomorrow it could be you.
“How do we expand the table to voices that matter? And create spaces for people who have innovative ideas to contribute?
“Nigeria’s voice becomes clearer when we choose peace over violence. We choose unity over division. We choose dialogue over destruction. And we must act now, not tomorrow, to build a peaceful, just, and prosperous country that contributes to the stability of our region and the wider world. she concluded, urging that inclusive approaches will shape Nigeria’s ability to manage its peace burden both at home and across the West African region.
A Scholar’s Reflection: Prof. Golwa
As Nigeria reflects on its long record in global peacekeeping and its ongoing struggle with domestic insecurity, experts insist that peace remains an unfinished business.
While the country has earned international recognition for its role in stabilizing troubled regions across Africa, the challenge of applying those lessons to local conflicts persists.
Weiging on the subject matter, former Director General of the Institute, and Lecturer, Professor Joseph H.P. Golwa, while drawing from his years at the helm of Nigeria’s foremost peace think-tank, cautioned that peace must be seen as a continuous process, never as a destination.
He emphasized the need for both government and citizens to commit to building peace as a shared responsibility; He noted that international peace efforts have to be matched with homegrown solutions, inclusive governance, and a strong investment in research and dialogue.
He stressed that the lessons of global peacekeeping must not be lost on Nigeria’s domestic context, where farmer-herder clashes, banditry, and kidnapping continue to test the nation’s resilience.
He said, “At the international level, the global level, Nigeria has always been doing well in peacekeeping operations. And then when you talk of peacemaking at home here, the government is doing well. They are making an effort. And like I said, there’s no time you would be able to say this is where we have come to the end of making peace. It is a continuous process and they are on it.
“You know, in the first place, peace is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. Just like conflict is a choice, so peacemaking is a choice. And when we begin to ask what role can I play to be part of that process, then we will get to some level. And that level is attained when all of us have it ingrained in our hearts and become an attitude.
“Every time it’s the government, yes, we know the government has a constitutional responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens, providing security. But, you know, in practical terms, the government will still need the input of the citizens to be able to build peace. So we will continue to encourage at all levels, providing good governance and ensuring that everyone is made to become part of it.”
The Way Forward
For Nigeria, the path ahead is clear but demanding.
The country cannot afford to carry the weight of global peacekeeping while insecurity festers within its borders.
Strengthening local peace structures, empowering citizens to see themselves as peacebuilders, and investing in inclusive governance will be critical steps toward bridging the gap between its international image and its domestic reality.
Nigeria’s credibility abroad will only be as strong as the peace it secures at home; By tackling poverty, inequality, and mistrust with the same urgency it shows in global missions, the country can turn its paradox into strength.
A peaceful Nigeria at home will not only command greater respect abroad but also inspire hope across Africa that peace, though difficult, is possible.
