Lagos to Host All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit in November

Lagos State will host the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit. The event will gather peacebuilding experts, academics, security professionals, policymakers, and civil society leaders. They will talk about ways to solve conflicts and build peace in Nigeria.

Ehi Braimah issued a statement on behalf of the summit’s Media and Communications Committee. He sent the statement to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

The summit is set for 7 November at the Victoria Garden Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

The theme is “Good Governance, Justice and Equity: Foundations for Sustainable Peace.” The focus will be on creating practical recommendations. The aim is to build strong partnerships and get stakeholder commitments to promote lasting peace.

The organisers plan to turn discussions into real actions. They will do this under the sub-theme “From Dialogue to Action: Forging a Sustainable Peace Legacy in Nigeria.”

Keynote Address

Lea Perekrests, director of partnerships at the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), will give the keynote address. The title is “Global Perspectives on Good Governance, Justice and Equity as Foundations for Sustainable Peace.”

She will talk about the role of strong institutions, inclusive governance, and fair societies in creating lasting peace. Her presentation is scheduled for 12:35 a.m. She will look at Nigeria’s peacebuilding challenges and opportunities from an international view. Special attention will be on social cohesion and resilient communities.

Besides the keynote address, the summit will have two high-level panel discussions. The first is titled “Governance, Justice, Equity and National Cohesion.” Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), will be the moderator.

The panellists include Rear Admiral (rtd.) Elkana Jaiyeola, an intelligence expert and naval officer. Others are Diamond Nebechukwu, director of the Abdulmalik Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies (AAIPSDS), and Richard Aborishade, a criminology professor at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

They will evaluate how accountable leadership, access to justice, fair development, and national unity are linked. The discussion will also use their experience in security, peace studies, and criminology. They will address issues like institutional accountability and declining public trust in national institutions.

The organisers say the session will include presentations, moderated discussions, and audience contributions. They aim to create recommendations to boost national unity.

Second Session

Ibim Semenitari will moderate the second session. This one will look at “Security, Inclusion and the Future of Peace in Nigeria.” Semenitari is an entrepreneur, administrator, farmer, communications specialist, journalist, and Rotarian.

She will lead talks with Kaltumi Abdulazeez, who advocates for the rights of women, girls, and marginalised communities. Other speakers are Oyebisi Oluseyi, the executive director of The Nigeria Network of NGOs, and Samuel Ajiye.

This session will explore how to promote peace through inclusive participation and stronger community involvement. It will also look at how civil society partnerships and effective security measures can help.

The discussion will consider how women, young people, vulnerable communities, and NGOs contribute to sustainable peacebuilding efforts.

Convener

Yinka Babalola, the summit convener and president of Rotary International, will give the opening address. He will talk about peacebuilding in Nigeria. His presence will highlight Rotary’s commitment to conflict prevention and peaceful coexistence.

Representatives from youth organisations, women’s groups, security agencies, and the diplomatic community will also share goodwill messages. They include Abisogun Akinbode, National President of JCI Nigeria; Kunbi Wuraola, Convener of Women on a Mission; Inspector-General of Police Olatunji; Rilwan Disu; and Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm.

Highlight

A special part of the summit will be a session called “From Dialogue to Action, Key Recommendations from Stakeholders, Commitments and Peace Legacy Agenda.” PDG Wole Kukoyi will coordinate this session.

It will bring stakeholders together to create practical commitments based on issues and recommendations discussed during the summit. The programme will also include signing a Peace Legacy Accord and Agenda. They will unveil a summit declaration and communiqué that detail the agreements and proposed actions.

The organisers believe these steps will keep the conversation going beyond the summit. They want to set a foundation for ongoing collaboration and implementation.

They noted the event will bring Rotary leaders, government representatives, peacebuilding practitioners, security experts, development groups, and civil society organisations together. It aims to strengthen cooperation. The summit will also promote the idea that lasting peace requires good governance, justice, fairness, and including various groups in decision-making.