By Ovat Abeng
As the World celebrate this year 2026 World Peace Day, an advocacy group, Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre (PEPOLAC), has urged Nigerians to see the fight against insecurity in the country as a collective responsibility.
The group says sustainable peace requires justice, inclusive governance, youth empowerment and stronger grassroot collaborative action to tackle the menace.
The called was contained in a communique signed and issued to Journalists by the group’s International President, Bishop Dr Festus Ozoemena, at the 2026 Annual Peace Alive Conference organised by the management of PEPOLAC to commemorate the day, held at Abuja on Thursday, June 25th, 2026.
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According to Ozoemena, a sustainable peace must be deliberately built through education, justice, inclusive governance and stronger community engagement.
“Nigeria’s security challenges have evolved beyond isolated incidents of violence.
“Communities across different regions continue to contend with terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, communal clashes, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, cultism, cybercrime and human trafficking.
“This threats are increasingly interconnected with deeper socio-economic problems including unemployment, poverty, poor governance, inequality and social exclusion.
“The worsening insecurity has contributed to humanitarian crises, displacement of communities, declining investor confidence and growing public distrust in institutions responsible for maintaining law and order.
“This threats also include, climate change, environmental degradation and competition over natural resources that seems to be increasingly fueling communal conflicts across Nigeria.
“There is no better time to talk about peace than now.
“The Peace Alive Conference was designed not merely to diagnose Nigeria’s security challenges but to identify practical pathways for a better Nigeria.
“Sustainable peace requires ownership at community level.
“Traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth organisations, women groups and local civil society organisations are also critical actors in preventing conflicts before they escalate.”
He urged governments at the federal, state and local levels to institutionalized community-based conflict prevention systems while strengthening intelligence gathering, early warning mechanisms and rapid response structures.
He also called for increased investment in youth empowerment, vocational training and poverty reduction programmes to curbed the challenges.
“PEPOLAC has focused heavily on peace education, particularly among young people in Nigeria. We have established peace clubs in schools, trained communities on mediation, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
“We believe in catching them young.
“We have also responded to humanitarian emergencies including COVID-19 and flood disasters through relief materials and community support.
“Similar event in celebration of 2026 World Peace Day, would equally hold in Awka Anambra State by September, at Ikeja Lagos, in October and South African edition, Johannesburg 5th September and Cape Town 6th September, 2026. Credible candidates are received for nominations as Peace Ambassadors and Advocates. Contact the Secretariat: 08037223637 (WhatssApp); +2349043723869, email: unpeacepolacng@gmail.com and unpepolac.org.ng
“Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, religion or political affiliation should see themselves as ambassadors of peace in their various communities, because government alone cannot build peaceful societies without the active participation of citizens, communities and institutions, Ozoemena further advocated.
“The conference, which also marked PEPOLAC’s 10th anniversary, brought together policymakers, diplomats, traditional rulers, security experts, religious leaders, youth organisations and development partners under the theme, “Keeping Peace Alive for Global Peace: Advancing Peace, Unity and Sustainable Development in Communities.
Its again featured Global Peace Merit Awards on the following categories: Human Rights Defender, Human Dignity, Human Capital Development and Sustainable Development.The Recipients included; Hon. Speaker, House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D; Inspector General of Police, IGP, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Deputy Speaker House of Representative, Rt. Hon. Benjamin O. Kanu, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Former Inspector General of Police, Chief Sir Mike Okiro, Dr. Olagunju Idowu, Secretary General, NATCOM- UNESCO, Rt. Hon. (Amb.) Peter Ifeanyi Uzokwe, MHR, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, of Mountain of Fire Ministries, etc.
Others in Peace Ambassadorial Category included; Hon. Barr. Genevieve Osakwe, Chairman Anambra State Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), While Prestigious Mayor for World Peace Appointment went to the Former Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief Hon. Mrs. Ify Obinabo, and Archbishop Prof. Silvanus Ofili under the distinguished Chairmanship of CP Ahmed M. Sanusi, Abuja FCT Police Command.
