Institute seeks funding for peace building

Government should start appropriating fund for peace building efforts in the country in their annual budgets, to cater for conflicts resolutionand security of lives and property.

The Director General, Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Prof. Oshita O.Oshita who disclosed this at a press briefing, flagging off activities for the2016 United Nations International Day for Peace in Abuja, said by taking this step it will address a lot of things in the crisis torn areas.

He said peace-building efforts before and after conflicts needed appropriation in the budget and “ we need financial support and continuous collaboration with our partners to make Nigeria a more peaceful nation. This would provide the enabling environment for sustainable development.”

Oshita also hinted that they have embarked on several intervention programmes towards rebuilding peaceful relations in conflict areas through empirical researches to further understand the roots of violent conflicts that have prevailed in the six geo-political zones of the country.

He said: “Researchers of the Institute have just concluded the strategic conflict assessment in order to update information on the trends and dynamics of wars and communal clashes, and insecurity in some parts of the country and how to nib them in the bud.’’

Findings have been made available to relevant agencies in all geopolitical zones to build and enhance the proactive capacity of government.He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration for degrading Boko Haram and focusing on security, economy and anti-corruption as building blocks for development across the country.

The UNDP Peace and Development Advisor, Zebulun Takwa said: “All the 17 Development Goals are pillars of peace, but we are sensitizing Nigerians about the International Day of Peace, a weeklong activity which has been scheduled to mark this year’s event.

He appealed to the government to invest in peace building efforts, “and also look inwards to see how we can make peace a reality. Everyone should be an advocate of peace and an advocate of the SDGs, while the root causes of conflict should be addressed.”

The theme for this year’s celebration: “Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace,’’ is significant, considering the fact that it places emphasis on peace building as a cross-cutting issue for the attainment of sustainable development.