From the Founder's Desk
PRIORITIZING COMMUNITY PEACE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS
Nigeria is an acknowledged diverse country in ethno-linguistics, cultural, religious, human and natural resources, gender parity with huge vibrant youths. The country was amalgamated in January 1914 and subsequently obtained her political independent on October 1, 1960. The huge diversity of Nigeria easily created trust-issues between and amongst her huge communities of inhabitants across the country.
Over the years, the advantages that these multi-dimensional diversities should ordinarily have had for Nigeria’s development, began to fade-out into challenges with suffocating impact on development and progress of Nigeria and her people. Diversity soon turned into adversity, moving Nigeria into spiral phases of intra and inter-communities’ mistrusts, leading to communal clashes over land and resources ownership as well as access to water and other means of livelihood, stigmatizing these disputes and conflicts around identity-related crises. Additionally, national elites continue to manipulate Nigeria’s diversity in ethnicity, religion, politics and culture, thereby obstructing opportunities for effective national cohesion and collaboration for Nigeria’s development and greatness.
The Imperativeness of Justice and Peace
Regrettably, reversing these negative trends, namely fostering national unity, building peace and harmonious co-existence amongst and between communities and promoting faith in Nigeria, have proven to be herculean tasks for successive Governments in Nigeria. The persistence of these challenges have necessitated the urgent need to re-think creative initiatives and platforms that can evolve new network of actors that are committed to enhancement of realizable peace formulae anchored on Justice as sole harbinger of durable peace.
A Call for Constructive Change
The challenge before our Network, is to imaginatively construct harmony, equity, and justice by addressing past acts that have inflicted trauma and hindered peace in our communities. We must diligently employ mechanisms based on justice and fairness to resolve conflicts. Addressing issues such as poor governance and the winner-takes-all approach in Nigeria's democracy is vital for harmony and peace in our communities, country, and sub-region.
Leveraging Existing Initiatives
Our Network aims to build upon the work of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, whose strategic conflict assessment of Nigeria was last conducted in 2016. This report identifies the threats that face our communities and country and actors as well as potential collaborators and partners, for enhanced engagements, capable of driving peace processes across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones and resource-rich communities in oil, and gas, as well as minerals sectors.
Specifically, this Network shall leverage on the provisions of the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), to put together a virile network of actors in oil and gas communities as well as Minerals resources areas, for engagements that expand the frontiers of harmonies between and within communities, oil companies, NNPC Ltd and related Governmental institutions to facilitating Peace in the Industry to enable appropriate benefits from the oil and gas industries for the development of communities and nation. Successes in these endeavours will undoubtedly enable and sustain peace, a prerequisite for stability, development, and progress in our communities, Nigeria, and West Africa.
Commitment to Peace
I am privileged and honoured to have received the warm and enthusiastic responses of support and readiness to partner and work with me by Members of the Board of Trustee. We all realize that it is only through peace that we can collectively realize our aspirations as communities and country, we equally realise that such careful networks of multi-sectoral partnerships of engagements may just be the magic wand to deliver Peace and growth. Given our diverse backgrounds and experiences, the Board of Trustees for this Community Network is well-suited to lead a whole-of-society approach, to fostering meaningful and sustainable community engagements that positively impact our societies and our nation. We are resolute in our determination and commitment to advocacy for a peace-building process that allows for stability, development, and progress in our communities, our country, and the entire sub-region.
Amb. Abdullahi A. Omaki, nooc, fsma.
Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, AOCPIN
September, 2023
Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, AOCPIN
September, 2023