Rotary President To Hold Peace Summit In Nigeria

The Rotary International president, Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, is set to host a peace summit in Nigeria ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

He said the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit 2026 will hold in Lagos on 7th November, 2026.

Babalola said the conference is about what Nigeria can do differently for sustainable peace to flourish.

A statement by the chairman of the organising committee of the summit and past district governor, Kazeem Mustapha, explained that the Rotary International president will use the forum to bring together Rotarians, leaders, peace advocates and key stakeholders.

He quoted Babalola as saying, “Peace must become more than something we wish for. It must be something we deliberately build in our communities, through our institutions and in the way we treat one another.”

The statement added that the summit will be an important national conversation on building sustainable peace in Nigeria.

“With the theme, ‘Good Governance, Justice and Equity: Foundations for Sustainable Peace,’ the Summit will be held at the Victoria Garden Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

“The message behind the gathering is simple but urgent: peace cannot be separated from the conditions in which people live.

“For President Yinka Babalola, the Summit reflects Rotary’s conviction that peace is not merely the absence of conflict.

“It must be built deliberately; through dialogue, understanding, stronger communities and institutions that give people confidence in the future.

“The summit, therefore, moves beyond speeches to a deeper question: What must Nigeria do differently to create the conditions in which sustainable peace can flourish?

“Participants will explore the relationship between good governance, justice, equity, economic opportunity and community development, while seeking practical pathways for collaboration and action.

“Rotary’s involvement is significant. Across Nigeria and around the world, Rotarians work at the community level in areas including peacebuilding, education, maternal and child health, disease prevention, economic empowerment, water and sanitation, and community development.

“The Peace Summit brings those experiences into a wider national conversation, and it is coming at a perfect time as Nigeria prepares to head to the polls.

“Rotarians, professionals, traditional and community leaders, civil society actors, young people, policymakers, the private sector, development partners and other stakeholders are invited to be part of the conversation.

“This is more than a gathering. It is a call to reflection, dialogue and action, especially because building peace is everybody’s business.”