The federal government on Thursday  launched the National Traditional Leaders Summit on Mediation, Conflict Management and Peacebuilding.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Affairs in Abuja, Abbas Hashim, said the initiative was geared towards making traditional institutions alternative dispute resolution organs.

Mr Hashim at a news conference said the initiative also represents President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance.

He said it also represents Mr Tinubu’s commitment to community-driven peace processes and the revitalisation of “our time-honoured traditional institutions.”

Mr Hashim said the summit would bring together 350 traditional leaders across 36 states and the FCT.

According to him, the summit, which will last for 10 months, will systematically engage the six geopolitical zones through intensive programmes designed to enhance capacity building in modern mediation techniques.

“It will deepen understanding of democratic institutions and electoral processes, develop skills in post-conflict reconciliation and community healing and promote inclusive governance that ensures meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalised groups. Nigeria’s traditional institutions stand as monuments of endurance, wisdom and legacy. 

“For countries, long before the advent of modern state structures, our royal fathers, emirs, obas, obis, and traditional council members have served as custodians of peace, justice, and community cohesion. Today, over 150 million Nigerians living within traditional domains look to these institutions not merely as ceremonial relics of the past but as living, breathing systems of governance that touch their daily lives in profound ways.

“Our royal fathers possess what modern institutions often struggle to attain: deep cultural authority that transcends political affiliations and intimate knowledge of local contexts. They possess community dynamics, moral legitimacy that enables honest dialogue between conflicting parties and extensive social networks that reach every household within their jurisdiction,” he said.

Mr Hashim identified royal fathers as the first responders when tension arose and trusted mediators when there was disagreement between neighbours, as well as guardians of social harmony in the event of division in communities.

He said that Mr Tinubu believes deeply in the powers of traditional institutions to transform the country’s peace architecture, strengthen democracy and preserve the best of our cultural heritage while embracing necessary evolution.

Mr Hashim called for the collaboration of Nigerians to strengthen the institutions as effective, accessible and culturally appreciated mechanisms for conflict resolution and democratic governance.

“Together, we will preserve indigenous wisdom while building capacity for contemporary challenges.

“Together, we will ensure that Nigeria’s traditional institutions remain not just relevant but central to our nation’s peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.

The event was organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Matters in collaboration with the Research Centre for Advocacy and Policy Advisory in Africa (ReCAP), among others. 
(NAN)