By Victoria Ojeme

Director General of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Dr. Bakut Bakut has said that sustained efforts at peace building through a non-violent approach to conflict resolution has become necessary in Nigeria and other parts of the world as part of measures towards recovery from the devastations of COVID-19.

Dr. Bakut Bakut said this while briefing reporters ahead of the International Day of Peace scheduled for 21st September, 2021 around the world.

He noted that the theme of this year’s Peace Day celebration “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World”, was apt considering that the United Nations has prioritized assistance for the recovery from the COVID-19 in this year’s celebration.

He however, noted that Nigeria’s disquieting conflict dynamics and manifestations have necessitated the prioritization of conflict, while also attending to recovering from COVID-19, due to the nexus between both incidents.

“In its quest to galvanize cooperation on conflict de-escalation and strengthen national cohesion on the promotion of peace in the country, the Institute is working with partners to advocate and sensitize parties in violent conflicts across the country on the need to observe a ceasefire on the 21st of September and adopt a non-violent approach to the resolution of conflict,” he urged.

He said further that many of the stakeholders drawn from the security sector, civil society groups, Ministries Departments and Agencies(MDAs) and development partners are leveraging the various on-going peace building programmes in communities to achieve a ‘ceasefire’ or Silent the Guns.’ He noted that some have initiated new programmes towards promoting peace orientation among children and youths.

“Five of the Institute’s Peacebuilding Zonal Offices across the country will be fully engaged with partners in their different locations. The entries of activities so far received are for those to be conducted in the following 14 states and the FCT; Plateau, Enugu, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Kano, Kaduna, FCT, Delta, Bayelsa and Cross River,” he said.

He noted that the Nigerian military is intensifying peace building and sensitization activities around civil-military relations in Nigeria’s conflict theaters.

September 21st of every year is set aside by the United Nations (UN) for countries all over the world to mark the International Day of Peace or World Peace Day.

The United Nations also uses the opportunity to call for the observation of a ceasefire by combatants or parties in violent conflict and generally requests that people across the world, spread the ideals of peace, love, compassion, kindness and hope.