The United Nations has urged Nigerian youths to actively promote peace and counter factors that could escalate tensions as the country approaches the 2027 elections.

Grace Kpohazounde, peace and development adviser at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day training programme for National Youth Service Corps members, SIWES participants, interns and volunteers.

The training, organised under the Renewed Hope Agenda for Young Peacebuilders, seeks to equip young Nigerians with skills to identify, prevent, manage and transform conflicts for sustainable peace and national development.

Ms Kpohazounde warned that the election period could heighten tensions, with youths particularly vulnerable to manipulation into activities that could undermine peace. She urged participants to take responsibility for addressing signs of conflict, including exclusion, injustice, and hate speech, whether encountered physically or online.

The UN adviser called on the youths to use the knowledge and skills acquired during the two-day training to contribute to peacebuilding efforts in their communities.

She said the attitude young people adopt toward situations that could generate conflict could determine whether tensions escalate or are resolved peacefully.

She also urged young Nigerians to view peacebuilding as a long-term commitment rather than a route to quick financial gains. According to her, the UN is working with several Nigerian institutions, including IPCR, as well as ministries at national and state levels, to support peacebuilding initiatives across the country.

The IPCR director-general, Joseph Ochogwu, said the training was designed to empower young Nigerians with the knowledge, skills and values required to identify, prevent, manage and transform conflicts.

Mr Ochogwu said young Nigerians should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of peacebuilding programmes but as partners, leaders and drivers of peacebuilding efforts. He said Nigeria’s ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural diversity remained a major strength but could become a source of tension when poorly managed.

He urged the participants to take the lessons from the training beyond the classroom and apply them in their communities, workplaces, schools, places of primary assignment, homes and social networks.

Mr Ochogwu also cautioned youths against spreading rumours, misinformation and hate speech, noting that responsible communication could help prevent tensions from escalating. He also urged young Nigerians to use their digital platforms to promote tolerance, challenge falsehoods and strengthen national unity.

Mr Ochogwu said peacebuilding skills had become essential life skills as political disagreements, community grievances and misinformation could quickly escalate through social media. He also linked peacebuilding with national development, saying sustainable development could not thrive where communities lived in constant fear.

David Rinnert, senior conflict adviser at the British High Commission, urged young peacebuilders to adopt three leadership principles: understanding issues before acting, creating and communicating a clear vision, and delivering consistently.

Mr Rinnert said peacebuilders must first understand the evidence, people and circumstances surrounding a conflict before attempting to provide solutions. He stressed the importance of working with others to address complex peace and conflict challenges.

(NAN)