By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

The Council of Emissaries of the International Forum for Peace and Diplomacy (IFPD) has formally received an African security briefing delivered by a defence and development consultant, Wilson Babangida Agboti, highlighting prevailing security challenges on the continent and proposing policy-driven and community-based solutions to peacebuilding.

Agboti made the presentation during his participation in the maiden Assembly of the Council of Emissaries of the International Forum for Peace and Diplomacy (IFPD) in Nigeria, held on January 27, 2026, in Abuja.

The high-level assembly came weeks after Agboti’s appointment as Senior Technical Adviser on Defence and Sustainability Affairs to the Forum and brought together IFPD emissaries to deliberate on strategic engagement frameworks with governments, communities, and civil society organisations across Africa to advance sustainable peace, diplomacy, and development.

During the meeting, Agboti reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the Forum’s peace and security mandate through collaboration with his transnational non-governmental organisation, Community Impact Affinity (CIA).

“Sustainable peace cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires deliberate engagement with communities, strong advocacy, and effective civil–military cooperation,” he said. “Through Community Impact Affinity, we remain committed to working closely with IFPD to strengthen national security using inclusive and community-driven approaches.”

He stressed that conflict prevention should take precedence over conflict resolution, noting that long-term peace depends on addressing the root causes of insecurity.

“We must shift our focus from reacting to conflicts to preventing them. Identifying and tackling the underlying drivers of violence is the only path to lasting peace,” Agboti stated.

The defence expert also pledged to leverage his office and his close working relationships with stakeholders in the Nigerian defence industry to support practical and sustainable peace initiatives.

“I am ready to deploy my experience and networks within the defence ecosystem to support meaningful, realistic, and sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s and Africa’s security challenges,” he added.

Agboti further called on the leadership of IFPD to consider establishing a Directorate of Civil–Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and appointing a dedicated envoy to drive non-kinetic peacebuilding efforts at the community level.

“A structured CIMIC framework will enhance trust, improve collaboration, and ensure that peacebuilding efforts resonate at the grassroots,” he said, expressing readiness to work closely with such an envoy if appointed.

In recent years, Agboti has been a leading advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions through the work of Community Impact Affinity.

An alumnus of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), he currently serves as Vice Chairman, Committee on Security, of the International Society of Diplomats (ISD); is an ambassadorial member of World Citizen Peace; and is the founder of BA Integrated Services, a firm providing ICT solutions, branding, enterprise development, and security consultancy services.