Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to heighten collaborative efforts towards ending insecurity in Nigeria, describing peacebuilding as a shared national responsibility that demands decisive leadership and multi-stakeholder partnership.
SPSP President, Nathaniel Awuapila, made this call at the 19th International yearly Conference and General Assembly of SPSP at the University of Ibadan.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritise peace as the foundation for economic stability, social development and national cohesion.
Addressing participants at the four-day conference themed, ‘Economic Challenges and the Tasks of Building Sustainable Peace in a Globalised World’, the president stressed that insecurity had grown into a heavy national burden that requires the urgent attention of all actors, government, communities, scholars and practitioners.
“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to work closely with peace professionals, researchers and grassroots actors to help solve the insecurity confronting our nation,” Awuapila said.
He appreciated that government was pursuing an All-of-Government approach to governance, but emphasised that countries facing protracted insecurity need the All-of-Nation approach to create real and lasting solutions.
Awuapila noted that Nigeria, 65 years after Independence, still lacked a national peace policy framework, an absence he described as one of the major obstacles to coordinated peacebuilding efforts.
He advocated the formulation and adoption of a national peace framework that would align institutions, actors and communities towards a shared peace agenda.
Awuapila further highlighted SPSP’s contributions over the past 19 years, noting the society’s strong capacity in research, dialogue facilitation, community engagement, policy support and field interventions all of which position SPSP as an essential partner in N“igeria’s quest for stability.
With Nigeria facing deepening economic pressures and rising security threats, he urged the government to reinforce the nation’s internal peace architecture to safeguard its future.
Speakers at the event examined the intersection between economic challenges and rising insecurity, warning that Nigeria’s development aspirations may remain unattainable without firm, strategic and well-coordinated peace interventions.