Nigeria Develops New National Peace Policy Initiative

The federal government of Nigeria, alongside key stakeholders, has initiated the development of a new national peace policy aimed at strengthening conflict prevention, enhancing institutional coordination, and promoting sustainable peace across the country. This initiative was announced by Hafsah Matazu, the Programme Manager at the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), during a three-day technical workshop in Gombe.

The workshop, themed “Building an Inclusive National Infrastructure for Peace and Resilience,” was organized in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and Triple Peace Africa, gathering representatives from various federal ministries, the National Assembly, state peace commissions, civil society organizations, and peacebuilding practitioners. Chris Ngwodo, the Director-General of OSPRE, stated that the proposed policy aims to create a framework that reflects Nigeria's current peace and security realities, considering developments since the last National Peace Policy attempt in 2012.

Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of IPCR, emphasized the policy's role in strengthening Nigeria's peacebuilding system. Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa (retd.) noted that the policy would promote proactive conflict management, while Sadiq Abbas Tafida, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion, pledged the House's commitment to supporting the policy's implementation.