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IPCR Collaborates on Peace-building Game for Children, Young People
IPCR Collaborates on Peace-building Game for Children, Young People
By: Michael Mike
A game for children and young people to learn, engage, and apply peace-building tools such as dialogue, mediation, tolerance, and inclusion has commenced.
The game, Peace Creatives Competition Nigeria 2025 commenced in Abuja on Thursday as part of activities to mark the International Day of Peace and was a collaboration of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and Idimuwem Peace and Governance Initiative (IPGI).
The competition themed “Unity and Prosperity in Diversity.” was organized in Abuja in collaboration with Gender Mobile, NGYouthSDGs, BUPRI, Youth Alive Foundation, and Girls Get Equal.
Convener of the competition, Uduak-Abasi Akpabio, said the initiative provides a platform for children and young people to learn, engage, and apply peacebuilding tools such as dialogue, mediation, tolerance, and inclusion.
She said: “Peace cannot simply be wished into existence. Like swimming, reading, or any life skill, peace must be taught, nurtured, and practiced,” adding that the competition is designed to build capacity through information, skills, and practice.
She further explained that entries will not be limited by language, with participants free to express themselves in English, Pidgin, local dialects, dance, or performance. Online submissions via WhatsApp and email have also been introduced to remove barriers to access.
Now in its fourth edition, the competition has been expanded to include two categories—ages 16–20 and 21–25—and will run nationwide through IPCR’s six regional offices.
“Our first competition targeted children, where art proved the most effective medium for expression. With the help of education specialists and psychologists, we ensured materials were child-friendly and tailored to their level.
“By the second competition, we saw the importance of partnerships, moving beyond Abuja into classrooms across the states, reaching more children through collaboration with organizations at the grassroots.
“The third competition reinforced the need for diversity and inclusion, we ensured gender sensitivity and access for children with special needs.
“This year marks the fourth competition. We have refined our structure, dividing participants into two categories: ages 16–20 and 21–25.
“We are also expanding reach by partnering formally with IPCR and its six regional offices. This ensures that from local communities to state levels, young people across Nigeria can participate meaningfully,” Akpabio said.
In his welcome address, Director General of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, represented by Dr. Caleb Ayuba, Head of Democracy and Development Studies, said the competition underscores a commitment to young people and to the future of peace and governance in Nigeria.
He noted that violent conflicts across the country have disproportionately affected young people, both as victims and perpetrators, while unemployment, poverty, and exclusion continue to limit their opportunities.
Ochogwu said the initiative aligns with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, and supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for a peaceful, secure, and inclusive Nigeria.
He urged stakeholders to support the project, saying: “Let us encourage our youth to use their creativity, their voices, and their talent, not to fuel conflict, but to transform it; not to break down, but to build up.”
The initiative also drew commendations from international partners. Iiris Aliska of the Embassy of Finland praised the competition for promoting a culture of peace, emphasizing the principle of “relationality,” which she described as respect and kindness toward all people and communities.
The Director General of the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), Chris Ngwodo noted that while young people are often central to conflict, they are equally central to peacebuilding, describing them as “the most creative elements in any society.”
“Young people represent the reservoir of a society’s potential for transformation, innovation, peaceful revolution. All the things and all the ways in which a society can reach the fullness of its potential are involving young people.
“They are the ones that will bring things of a better present as well as a better tomorrow, and they are the ones that will chart a path to go in there. And this is why initiatives like this are hugely important. Initiatives that tap into, harness and celebrate the creative power of young people.
“Young people are the most creative elements in any society, and they are certainly the most creative elements in our own society. When you look at the size of people in our informal sector, when you look at the size of informal enterprise, and when you look at our creative sectors in this country, you will find that it is predominantly driven by young people. So I say all that to say that this initiative is a most worthy initiative,”he said.
He urged the youth to embrace their role as future heroes of the nation, saying:
“This is the moment of your heroism. This is the season of your heroism.”
Also speaking, Iiris Aliska of the Embassy of Finland lauded the initiative as a step toward nurturing a culture of peace. She emphasized the principle of “relationality,” which she defined as respect and kindness toward all people and communities.
Similarly, Hairo Dong, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, reaffirmed China’s commitment to working with Nigeria to advance peace and development through “pragmatic operations” and “real results.”
IPCR Collaborates on Peace-building Game for Children, Young People
News
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Government has distributed relief materials to 434 indigenes of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area who were recently rescued by security agencies after spending three months in Boko Haram captivity.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the victims in Pulka on Monday and directed the immediate distribution of food and non-food items to support their recovery and reintegration.

In compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Abdullahi Isa, promptly supervised the distribution exercise.
Each rescued person received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grits, a mattress, a wrapper, and a shadda, while children received two pairs of clothing.

In addition, 208 heads of households received N50,000 each, fulfilling Governor Zulum’s earlier pledge of financial assistance.
Speaking during the distribution, the SEMA Director General said the intervention was part of the government’s immediate response to ease the hardship faced by the rescued victims.

“I am here at the instance of His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who was here some few days ago, and to deliver the items he directed that it should be given to you as emergency relief,” Ali stated.
The rescued individuals are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support at a government facility. Upon completion of the rehabilitation process, they will be reintegrated into their respective communities.
The exercise was carried out alongside the Chairman of Gwoza local government, representatives of the Ngoshe community, and other officials.
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
News
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, marked Democracy Day with the handover of two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and critical logistics to the Nigerian Army, after joining internally displaced persons (IDPs) for a symbolic celebration and distribution of food items to 2,500 beneficiaries.
The armoured MRAPs delivered to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai on Friday are intended to enhance troop protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ambushes which remain a persistent threat in the fight against insurgents. Additional logistics include operational Hilux vehicles and motorcycles for frontline soldiers in difficult terrains.
Zulum also marked Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Madinatu camp where he distributed food supplies, non-food items, and cash gifts to thousands of beneficiaries.
The distribution, held at the Madinatu IDP camp, served to consolidate Zulum’s resettlement gains. Over the past seven years, Borno State Government has successfully resettled more than 2 million IDPs in their ancestral communities in a dignified and voluntary manner.
“It gladdens my heart today, the 12th of June, 2026, to celebrate June 12th, Democracy Day, here in Madinatu Camp, the only formal camp that is standing inside Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, today, to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind, for the distribution of food and non-food items. Inshallah, this camp will be closed this year. This will be our last distribution exercise in this camp, or the second to the last,” Zulum said.
However, Governor Zulum used the occasion to announce a timeline for the camp’s closure. The governor ordered that Madinatu camp be shut down within one month, vowing to similarly close most IDP camps across various Local Government Areas in the coming phase of his administration’s resettlement strategy.
“Democracy must translate into restoring the dignity of our people,” Zulum told the IDPs. “Living in camps is not a permanent solution. Our goal remains to return every displaced person to their ancestral homes with security and means of livelihood.”
In addition to the food items, Zulum approved N50,000 each for the 2,500 beneficiaries present at the event.
“Each of the 500 beneficiaries mentioned will receive a 25kg bag of rice and a 25kg bag of sorghum. Women will receive wrappers. I also promise to provide 50,000 naira to each beneficiary. This amount can be credited into their own individual accounts, inshallah,” Zulum said.
The exercise was attended by the APC’s State Deputy Chairman, Garba Mulima, APC State Vice Chairman (Central) Abdur Rahman Abdulkarim, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, Member representing Jere at the State Assembly, Abba Kyari Kolo, commissioners and commissioner designates and several other senior government officials.
Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs
News
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
By: Michael Mike
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for the arrest of a suspected gun courier intercepted while allegedly transporting weapons believed to be destined for criminal elements in Katsina State.
The commendation was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Thursday, June 12, 2026.

Governor Yusuf described the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against banditry, terrorism and other violent crimes threatening communities across Northern Nigeria.
According to information provided by the DSS, the suspect, identified as Muhammad Abubakar, 30, was apprehended in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State while allegedly transporting four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, three AK-47 rifles and two empty magazines to Funtua in Katsina State.
Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that the suspect collected the weapons from an individual identified as Bello in the Maigatari border area of Jigawa State and was expected to receive N450,000 upon successful delivery of the arms.
Governor Yusuf praised the professionalism, vigilance and intelligence-driven approach of DSS operatives, noting that the timely interception prevented the weapons from falling into the hands of bandits and other criminal groups.
He said the operation underscored the critical role of intelligence gathering and effective collaboration among security agencies in tackling emerging security threats across the country.
The governor reaffirmed the commitment of the Kano State Government to supporting security agencies through sustained cooperation, logistics assistance and policies aimed at strengthening public safety throughout the state.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to security agencies to aid efforts to combat crime and maintain peace.
Governor Yusuf expressed confidence that ongoing investigations would lead to the arrest and prosecution of all individuals connected to the alleged arms trafficking network.
The statement was signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano.
Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano
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