Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said Nigeria cannot achieve lasting peace while citizens continue to battle insecurity, hunger, poverty and hopelessness.

Obi, in a message marking the International Day of Peace, said peace must go beyond merely ending armed conflicts, insisting that Nigerians must be able to live safely, feed their families, access education and healthcare and have hope for the future.

The former Anambra State governor said farmers should be able to travel safely to their farms, children should be able to attend school without fear of abduction, and young Nigerians should have opportunities to build their future within the country.

He said: “Peace means more than the absence of violence. It exists when farmers can travel safely to and from their fields, children can attend school without the threat of abduction, families can afford adequate food, and young people can envision a future in their own country.”

Obi argued that sustainable peace was inseparable from effective governance, urging governments to prioritise the protection of lives, justice, education, healthcare and productive opportunities.

According to him, tackling only the visible manifestations of insecurity without addressing the conditions that produce desperation would not deliver lasting peace.

“We cannot continue addressing only the visible effects of insecurity while neglecting the circumstances that generate desperation and instability,” he said.

The NDC candidate also linked public accountability and responsible resource management to national security, warning that every misused public fund represented a missed opportunity to improve citizens’ welfare.

“Every naira misused represents a lost opportunity to strengthen peace. Every citizen left without support reflects a crisis overlooked. Every injustice committed erodes the foundations of peace,” Obi said.

He maintained that Nigeria had the resources required to become a secure and prosperous country but needed leadership, accountability and political will to place citizens at the centre of governance.

Obi called on Nigerians to use the International Day of Peace to recommit themselves to building a country where justice is upheld, lives are protected, opportunities are expanded and citizens can live with dignity and hope.

“Responsible governance is the foundation of peace,” he said.