Stakeholders in Abuja have warned that Nigeria’s peacebuilding and security efforts may fail unless young people (Youth) are fully integrated into governance, conflict prevention and decision-making processes, according to The Guardian Nigeria.
The warning was delivered during a one-day national conference on Youth, Peace and Security organised by the Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBFORPEACE) in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Champion of Peace Youth and Women Initiative.
The conference, themed “Bridging Policy and Practice: Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Youth Peace and Security Frameworks Implementation”, also featured the launch of BBFORPEACE’s Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Executive Director of BBFORPEACE, Rafiu Adeniran Lawal, said Nigeria continues to face multiple security and socio-economic challenges, including violent extremism, kidnappings, communal conflicts, unemployment, misinformation and shrinking civic spaces.
He said young Nigerians remain central to both the impacts of insecurity and the solutions, but are often excluded from meaningful policy participation. Lawal stressed that the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security must go beyond policy statements to practical implementation at community level.
Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, represented by Chukwuemeka Mbah, described youths as key stakeholders in sustainable peacebuilding, adding that their voices must shape national outcomes rather than being treated as secondary beneficiaries.
Keynote speaker Jaye Gaskia, Chairman of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism, criticised the exclusion of young people from implementing youth-focused policies, warning that weak civic space and token participation could undermine peace and democratic engagement.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development reaffirmed government commitment to youth inclusion, noting that stronger partnerships are required to advance Nigeria’s Youth, Peace and Security framework.
