Director General of the Institute For Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Dr. Joseph Ochogwu has said the situation in Nigeria at the moment requires a more collaborative effort to achieve conflict resolution largely through peaceful negotiation and non-violent means.
Dr Ochogwu while addressing passing out participants of the July Strategic Course on Negotiation and Mediation (Chartered) organised by the National Peace Academy of the IPCR in Abuja at the weekend said anything invested in peace building is not wasted and nothing is too small to be invested for peace.
He added that the course was life- transforming and revolutionary, and although conflict is sometimes resolved through the use of force to suppress certain elements that may pose a serious threat to peace in the society, “we reached a point where we can no longer use force as a means of engagement.”
He said; “We need to invest in the area of peace negotiation, mediation, consultation and stakeholder engagement,” stressing that the IPCR was ready to work with stakeholders in all ramifications to achieve peace through strategic negotiation.
He expressed delight that President Bola Tinubu has started the process of engagement and consultation with stakeholders across board even with the opposition, especially after the 2023 general elections.
Ochogwu urged participants of the course to engage stakeholders in their communities and deploy their skills and strategies to negotiate, saying, “You must use emotional intelligence; you have to resolve conflict without stress to create a better society and a better nation.”
The director of National Peace Academy, Dr. Bose Awodola, in her remarks, praised the participants for their passion and urged them to deploy their skills to promote peace building through practical experience.
One of the participants and class governor for the July course, Dr. Chinedu Samuel, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, lauded the institute for providing such opportunities for them, adding that the course had made an enormous impact on them.
“We have been impacted upon, we are being released into society, we are being released to encourage us to be peaceful in our lives, in families, communities, local governments, states Nigeria and the world,” he said.
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