The Federal Government has intensified efforts to develop a comprehensive National Peace Framework aimed at strengthening security, promoting social cohesion and building resilient communities across Nigeria.

The initiative, being spearheaded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), seeks to establish a coordinated and sustainable approach to addressing the country’s evolving security and peacebuilding challenges.

Speaking at the launch of the National Peace Framework Development initiative, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), described the process as timely and critical to Nigeria’s quest for lasting peace and stability.

Essiet said sustainable peace could not be achieved through security interventions alone, stressing the need to address the underlying social and governance factors that often fuel conflict and insecurity.

She identified community engagement, inclusive governance, effective early warning and response mechanisms, and stronger collaboration among government institutions as essential components of a durable peace architecture.

According to her, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, women, youths and the private sector must also be actively involved in the peace-building process.

Essiet commended ONSA and its partners for initiating the framework development process, expressing confidence that it would produce a practical and inclusive blueprint reflective of the aspirations of Nigerians.

She said the framework, when completed and effectively implemented, would strengthen community resilience, deepen social cohesion and contribute to building a more peaceful, secure and united Nigeria.

The initiative, the Presidential aide explained, underscores the Federal Government’s broader effort to complement security operations with preventive, community-based and inclusive approaches to managing conflicts and sustaining national stability.