By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — Nigeria cannot sustainably overcome insecurity, violence, social fragmentation and democratic decline without moving young people from the margins of decision-making to the centre of governance and peacebuilding, the Executive Director of Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, Mr Rafiu Adeniran Lawal, said on Tuesday.

The warning comes as Nigeria faces persistent security challenges and growing calls for greater youth participation in efforts to promote peace, stability and national cohesion.

Lawal spoke at the National Conference on Youth, Peace and Security in Nigeria held at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, where government officials, development partners, civil society leaders and youth groups discussed ways to strengthen implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security, YPS, agenda.

Also speaking at the event were the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Peter Ochogwu, and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dr Maryam Ismaila Keshinro.

Addressing participants at the conference themed, ‘Bridging Policy and Practice: Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Youth and Security Frameworks Implementation,’ Lawal said meaningful youth inclusion was essential to addressing the country’s peace and security challenges.

“Nigeria cannot sustainably address insecurity, violence, social fragmentation, and democratic decline while treating young people merely as beneficiaries rather than co-architects of peace and governance,” he said.

Lawal described the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security as one of Nigeria’s most important frameworks for promoting sustainable peace through the inclusion, participation, protection and leadership of young people.

“The National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, if effectively implemented, represents a game changer in our quest to find lasting solutions to the peace and security challenges confronting us as a nation,” he said.

According to him, work is already under way on a second National Action Plan following the expiration of the first framework, while the conference was convened to identify practical pathways for implementation and stronger stakeholder engagement.

He said Nigeria continued to grapple with multiple security threats, including violent extremism, banditry, kidnappings, communal conflicts, separatist tensions, organised criminality, cult violence, electoral violence and climate-related insecurity.

He added that unemployment, shrinking civic spaces, misinformation and growing distrust in institutions were further undermining national cohesion.

“Young people are often portrayed only as victims of violence or instruments of instability. But that narrative is incomplete and unfair. Across this country, young people are also leading mediation efforts, countering hate speech, promoting social cohesion, preventing violence, supporting humanitarian responses, and building bridges across divided communities,” Lawal said.

He said the greater challenge facing stakeholders was not the adoption of the Youth, Peace and Security framework but its implementation across communities.

“How do we ensure that this agenda moves beyond Abuja into our states, local governments, campuses, and communities? How do we ensure that young people at the grassroots truly feel the impact of these commitments?” he asked.

Lawal also called on government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector to invest more deliberately in youth-led peacebuilding initiatives.

“Policies alone do not build peace. Frameworks alone do not prevent violence. Action plans alone do not transform societies. People do,” he said.

Also speaking, Ochogwu stressed the need to place young people at the centre of governance, security and development programmes across the country.

Represented by the institute’s Deputy Director and Chief Research Fellow, Mr Chukwuemeka Mbah, the IPCR chief said young people should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of peace initiatives but as active drivers of national transformation.

“Sustainable peace cannot be achieved without placing youth at the centre of governance, security discussions, and development programmes across the country,” he said.

Ochogwu warned that policies and frameworks would achieve little if they remained on paper without effective implementation, adding that peace was not simply the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice, opportunity, dignity and inclusion.

In her remarks, Keshinro said the Federal Government recognised young people as critical partners in strengthening national resilience and advancing peacebuilding efforts.

Represented by Chief Youth Development Officer, Mrs Iorzua Vivian, the permanent secretary called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and youth groups.

She urged stakeholders to prioritise practical solutions, inclusive dialogue and sustained commitment towards advancing the Youth, Peace and Security agenda and translating policy commitments into measurable impact across communities.

The conference brought together youth leaders, government institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to examine how Nigeria can move the Youth, Peace and Security agenda from policy commitments to practical action in communities across the country.