IPCR Chief Tasks Youth to Reject Divisive Narratives Ahead of 2027

Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), has implored Nigerian youth to actively resist hate speech, false information, and intolerance as the nation gears up for the 2027 general elections. Ochogwu delivered this appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by the IPCR. The program brought together members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), participants from the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), interns, and volunteers, all operating under the 'Renewed Hope Agenda for Young Peacebuilders'.

He explained that the initiative was designed to empower more than 80 young Nigerians with vital skills in conflict management, leadership, and fact-checking. This empowerment, he noted, would enable them to significantly contribute to peace and national progress. According to Ochogwu, it is crucial for young Nigerians to evolve beyond merely receiving benefits from peacebuilding efforts and become proactive agents in both preventing and resolving conflicts.

He stated, “So what this initiative does, basically, is to bring these over 80-plus participants, who are actually with us, for two, three months and the Coppers who are here for about eight, nine months to actually build their capacity in understanding the connection between policy, what the government is doing, and how the government is pursuing them, so they can have a better appreciation of what the government is doing, so they can be in a better, enlightening position, you know, to have a genuine, constructive conversation.”

The IPCR Director-General further indicated that the training would expose participants to emerging threats linked to misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information, an aspect particularly pertinent as the 2027 elections draw closer. He elaborated, “We’re also training them on basic leadership skills, basic conflict management skills. We’re also going to teach them issues around misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, for them to be able to fact-check information, because the election is coming, so they need to be up and running with facts and be able to pay influence to their colleagues in the institutions of learning and all that.”

Ochogwu revealed that the concept for this initiative arose from his interactions with young Nigerians, which highlighted a noticeable gap between academic teachings in institutions and actual government policies. He lamented, “And I discovered there is a disconnect between our institutions of learning and what the government is doing and when you find students who read international relations and don’t know that the federal government is running a 4D foreign policy doctrine, then there is a problem. When you find somebody who is reading economics and doesn’t understand that the government have a priority agenda within which it is pursuing, then there is a problem.”

He urged the participants to channel their influence constructively, helping to bridge divides across ethnic, religious, and political lines. Ochogwu warned, “If we follow the kind of divisive politicisation that is going on in our society, we really might lose this team and nobody is going to wait for us. No country is going to wait for us. We have to build Nigeria for ourselves and I think that we are on track, and let’s be on the right track, building Nigeria.”

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, Ambassador Muyiwa Aiyedun emphasized the critical importance of peacebuilding for national development, stressing that meaningful progress is unattainable without peace. He encouraged the young attendees to play their part in preventing violence and fostering unity within their respective communities.

Also present, David Rinnert, the Senior Conflict Adviser at the British High Commission in Abuja, advised young peacebuilders to always verify information before taking action, especially in an era dominated by social media. Rinnert counselled, “So, I think the main thing there is to sort of take a step back, see what information you have. One person says, you know, this is the issue, this is the problem, another person says that is a problem. Just doing your research, talking to people, double-checking, fact-checking, before you come to a conclusion, and maybe test your conclusion with others before you actually go out there and then take action.”

Furthermore, Rinnert recommended supplementing online engagements with direct interaction at the community level. He noted, “I think maybe also to go out there and meet people, maybe one thing I noticed myself over the last 15 years is that we do a lot more work behind the computer and online, but we still got to go out there, meet the communities, understand what people really need and want to bring about change.”

Grace Kpohazounde, the United Nations Peace and Development Adviser in Nigeria, similarly called on young Nigerians to speak up against injustice, exclusion, and other factors that could ignite conflict. Kpohazounde, who began her career as an unpaid intern with the United Nations, offered guidance to the young participants.