Nigeria needs a multi-track approach to conflict resolution, Peace Building – Experts

Dr Paul Nyulaku, Country Director, International Alert, Abuja, has said Nigeria’s preference for “securitized response” to conflict resolution, rather than peace building has increased conflicts across the country, despite many efforts to promote peace in the country. Speaking at the induction of 40 members into the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in Abuja, […]

Dr Paul Nyulaku, Country Director, International Alert, Abuja, has said Nigeria’s preference for “securitized response” to conflict resolution, rather than peace building has increased conflicts across the country, despite many efforts to promote peace in the country.

Speaking at the induction of 40 members into the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in Abuja, Nyulaku said Nigeria needs a multi track approach to conflict resolution and peace building.

Nyulaku noted that Nigeria’s option of deploying security (Nigerian Army) first, at the scene of any conflict, in areas where peace building should prevail, have proven most ineffective to ensuring sustainable peace in the country.

He said what the country needs is to adopt a multitrack approach to peace building, which will ensure comprehensive response to conflict and violence.

According to him, “We need to have a more comprehensive response as opposed to securitized response, which is just a little component of what a comprehensive response should be. We need to look at humanitarian response, development response, and making sure that different groups that are divided, efforts are made to bring them together in order to consolidate peace, rather than the sort of peace we achieve by forcing people not to fight. We need to begin from understanding the reasons why they are fighting in the first place, so that we will have lasting peace.

“We need to work closely with security agencies, the academia, religious bodies and community leaders. All these efforts put together will lead to something more concrete and will help us to deal with the insecurity in the country rather than working in silos.”

He charged the participants of the fifth session of the IPCR negotiation and mediation skills course to ensure their legitimacy for peace building in any given society of operation.

In his remarks, Director, Internal Conflict Prevention and Resolution IPCR, Dr Emmanuel Mamman, expressed delight at witnessing an increase in the number of peace builders in the IPCR family.

Mamman, who stood in for the DG IPCR, Joseph Ochogwu, urged participants to think and act with peace at the back of their minds, urging them to review and address those challenges in their various environment that are threats to peace.