The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, are to partner on Peace Building for Sustainable Development in Nigeria.
The Director General of the Institute, Dr. Bakut T.Bakut, disclosed this to newsmen when he received the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, in his office in Abuja.
Dr. Bakut described the visit as historic and a clear message on promoting the culture of peace that encapsulates love, togetherness, solidarity, neighborliness, forgiveness, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda on sustainable peace, security and development.
He told the Minister that IPCR as the premier Think-Tank on peace, security and development in the country, has been working to deliver on its mandate through strategic research, policy advisory, capacity building, advocacy/sensitization and direct intervention
Dr. Bakut also recognized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which supervises the Institute, has continued to demonstrate remarkable commitment and attention to the programmes and activities of the Institute which has made it a Center of Excellence in the Sub Region in particular, and Africa in general.
In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama who was on a working visit to the Institute observed that peace constitutes the bedrock for meaningful development of every nation.
The Minister observed that since the return to democratic governance in 1999, Nigeria has continued to experience various violent conflicts connected with ethnic, religious and sectional nationalities.
“It was against this backdrop that the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) was established under the Ministry in February 2000 as an apex Think Tank and research agency of government to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for the promotion of peace and conflict resolution” he noted.
He therefore charged the Institute to start thinking of how peace can be achieved in Nigeria. “The question is what can you do for the country to achieve peace. This is a subject that is dear to my heart and I can assure you of the Ministry’s readiness to discuss options in this regard, with you”, he said.
The Minister also used the occasion to commission three operational vehicles, inspected electronic library and presented IPCR Publications.
Musa Mato
