Ahead of 2027 general elections, House Committee Chairman on Peace-building and Social Cohesion, Hon. Sadiq Tafida, has urged Nigerians to go for issue-based politics through the implementation of the draft of the National Peace Policy (NPP).
Hon.Tafida noted this at the second high-level experts dialogue on the draft of National Peace Policy (NPP), convened by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in collaboration with the Office of Strategy, Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) and Triple Peace Africa in Abuja, at the weekend, noting that democracy was to serve the people and to promote peace
The dialogue was themed; “The draft National Peace Policy: New and Emerging Threats and Infrastructure for Peace (I4P) in Nigeria”.
He said they bring motions on the floor to report this to Nigerians and to see how both the security agencies and religious agencies can work together to bring about harmony for the livelihoods of Nigerians.
Also, Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, explained that the NPP was an initiative of the IPCR, adding that there was a missed opportunity by the federal government in 2012 when it was first presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the then government.
He said to this, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government presents another opportunity for them to revive the process for the NPP.
He emphasised collaboration, stating that a framework for implementation is also going to be designed.
“It is a co-creation, not only by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution but also by other critical partners, that are involved in this process,” he said.
Also, the Director-General of OSPRE, Chris Ngwodo, noted that the goal was to move away from fragmented and competitive approaches towards a unified national effort.
On updating the new policy, the Executive Director of Triple Peace Africa, Dr. Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, explained that a lot has happened in Nigeria; stating that they have seen an escalation of conflict in different parts of the country.
He said it has changed in nature and in patterns, and so in updating this new policy, they need to take account of all the different changes that have happened in the country.
Nyulaku said, “we need to ensure that whatever work we do on peace touches on all areas such as politics, economic, social and psychological interventions” .