2027: Invest in Peace Daily or Risk Democracy, IPCR DG Warns

…Insists Without Peace, No Food Security, No Investment, No Future

By: Michael Mike

In a stark warning ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, on Monday declared that Nigeria must stop treating peace as a seasonal intervention and start funding it like roads and power.

Speaking at the IPCR Conference Hall, Abuja, during the Institute’s 2026 International Day of Peace Commemoration Lecture, Ochogwu said the country’s democratic stability and development prospects now depend on deliberate, daily investment in peace, justice, fairness and inclusion.

The lecture coincided with the global observance of the International Day of Peace, marked annually on September 21 in accordance with a United Nations General Assembly resolution, under the 2026 UN theme “Investing in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”

Ochogwu said the theme marks a critical shift from viewing peace merely as the absence of war to recognising it as a continuous investment essential to national survival.

He domesticated the theme for Nigeria as “Renewed Hope Agenda: Investing in Peace for Democratic Stability – Everyday Pathways to Justice and Inclusion Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections.”

According to him, the ballot alone will not guarantee credible polls. What happens between now and 2027 – in communities, on social media, in markets and in local government councils – will determine whether the elections are peaceful, credible and inclusive.

Ochogwu listed Nigeria’s interconnected fault lines that must be addressed urgently, including violent extremism, farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, youth restiveness, communal tensions, climate-induced competition for resources and misinformation.

He added to the list, grievances among youths and women, hate speech, weak access to justice at community level, and exclusion from the Nigerian project.

In his bluntest message, the IPCR boss warned of the economic cost of failure: “Without peace, we cannot have food security. Without peace, we cannot have quality education, healthcare, or attract investment,” he stated, noting that the absence of peace undermines development by disrupting livelihoods, weakening institutions and discouraging investment.

His prescription: treat peace infrastructure like physical infrastructure. “Every naira, every hour, every platform invested in dialogue is an investment in Nigeria’s survival,” he declared.

Ochogwu disclosed that IPCR has intensified election-related conflict prevention and will activate its national conflict telephony system to monitor and report incidents of electoral and political violence ahead of the 2027 elections, with reports to be escalated to relevant stakeholders for early intervention.

The Institute is also coordinating the National Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Platform, which connects state-level platforms to improve conflict monitoring and response.

Other measures include dialogues with political actors and traditional institutions, engagement with women and youth networks across the six geopolitical zones, and policy briefs on electoral violence mitigation.

Ochogwu, however warned that government alone cannot deliver peaceful elections. He called for a collective compact involving the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, the National Assembly, the private sector, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, the media and international development partners.

He urged the National Assembly to strengthen legislation supporting social cohesion, security agencies to deepen non-kinetic, community-centred approaches, businesses to treat peace as a business imperative, and the media to invest in peace journalism to counter hate speech and misinformation.

He charged Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to “Speak peace. Share peace. Fund peace. Teach peace.”

Also speaking, Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, said his administration has deliberately invested in Yobe’s peace architecture by strengthening early warning and response mechanisms, building residents’ capacity in conflict management, advancing peace education and dialogue, and deploying technology to counter information disorder.

Buni, represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd), said the interventions were targeted at “conflict entrepreneurs” who profit from instability, and reaffirmed Yobe’s alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on durable peace, improved security and inclusive growth.

2027: Invest in Peace Daily or Risk Democracy, IPCR DG Warns

Borno: Kwaya Kusar LGA ​‌‌enrols 119 out-of-school children, rewards best teacher with N.5m

Kwaya Kusar Local Government of Borno has enrolled 119 out-of-school children in the area while rewarding the best teacher with N500, 000.

Hon. Dahiru Hamma, the chairman of the council while speaking during the event in Kwaya Kusar town on Monday said the initiative was to complement Gov. Babagana Zulum’s efforts at improving the education sector.

Hamma said that his desire was to ensure that all children in his council who are out-of-school were returned to school to benefit from the government’s investment in the education sector.

According to him, it will be unfair that with the kind of resources that the state government was investing in the education sector, some children are not in school to get the needed education to realise their dreams in life.

“What we are doing today is to take advantage of Gov Zulum’s investment in education to ensure that no child in our council is left behind.

“We are particular about what our children could become if well educated, that’s why we have taken 119 vulnerable children out of the street and enrolled them into school.

“All they need from books, bags, shoes, uniforms, writing materials, socks have been provided for them.

“So, we are working to see that all vulnerable children are taken out of the streets and enrolled into school,” he said.

On the reward to Saidu Mohammed, the best teacher in the council, the Chairman said that the gesture was to encourage him and his colleagues and to send the message that “hard work and commitment to duty pays.”

“Having considered his commitment to work and punctuality amongst others, we have selected him out of many others to be given N500, 000 as his reward.”

Hamma said while the school rewards excellence, it would not however, condone late coming and truancy amongst teachers.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Borno, Mr Garba Zali commended Hamma for taking “this bold move to encourage our members and make teachers in the council happy.”

Zali also commended Zulum for giving cars to motivate teachers in the state while urging his members across the state to continue to put in their best.

The Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar-Mustapha II, represented by Alhaji Betara Aliyu, the Betara of Biu, commended the council’s efforts towards reducing out-of-school children.

“Any leader that prioritises education is a leader that understands the purpose of leadership; this is why I am commending the chairman,” Umar-Mustapha II said.

On his part, Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he had been teaching for 25 years and had never received any award.

He said he would use the money to purchase a plot of land for building and use the remaining money to support his family.

Borno: Kwaya Kusar LGA ​‌‌enrols 119 out-of-school children, rewards best teacher with N.5m

81st UNGA: Nigeria Will Be Guided By National Interest, Multilateralism, Tinubu’s Reform Agenda – VP Shettima

** *Arrives New York with Fubara, Sanwo-Olu, Hassan Hadejia, Bianca Ojukwu, other ministers

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in New York, United States, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA.

VP Shettima said Nigeria’s engagements at the global gathering will be guided by the country’s national interest, commitment to multilateralism and President Tinubu’s consistent advocacy for reforms of global institutions to reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.

“Our message in New York is clear. Nigeria believes in multilateralism, but the institutions that govern our world must become more representative, equitable, and responsive to the realities of today,” Senator Shettima said.

“We will engage our partners firmly from the standpoint of Nigeria’s national interest while advancing President Tinubu’s call for a global system that gives developing countries a stronger voice and a fairer opportunity to prosper.”

The Vice President arrived in the company of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State; Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, and other senior government officials.

On arrival in New York, VP Shettima was received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Chief Dele Alake; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, and other senior government and diplomatic officials.

During the General Debate, VP Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement, outlining the country’s position on major international issues and priorities with direct implications for peace and security, development, economic growth and global cooperation.

Senator Shettima will also participate in high-level meetings and hold bilateral engagements with world leaders, international organisations, and development partners on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Nigeria is expected to use the engagements to reinforce its positions on reform of international financial architecture, sustainable development, climate finance, technology access, and stronger representation for Africa in global decision-making.

81st UNGA: Nigeria Will Be Guided By National Interest, Multilateralism, Tinubu’s Reform Agenda – VP Shettima