Dr Bakut Bakut, Director-General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has urged Nigerians to take proactive steps to end conflicts and attain sustainable peace in the country.
Bakut said this at the UN International Peace Day celebration in Abuja.
The day has the theme, “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World”.
International World Peace Day is celebrated globally annually
Bakut said peace could only be achieved when all citizens joined hands to proffer peace for growth and development to take its due cause.
“The question is, how are we as Nigerians, recovering from the giant challenges facing the country?
“How are our actions enabling us to have an equitable and sustainable Nigeria for ourselves, our children, and generations unborn?
“These include conflict, the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and other health-related issues such as cholera which recently reared its ugly head again.
“Natural disasters such as flood and climate change, food security, humanitarian challenges, human rights abuses, and youth unemployment are bedeviling the existence of the country.
“The nation and indeed the military are doing their best in tackling the conflicts and challenges of COVID-19.
“I hereby use the opportunity to congratulate you all and wish you well,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has urged global citizens around the world to celebrate peace by observing 24 hours of ceasefire and non-violence.
According to Guterres, the UN is striving to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and look forward to a better future for people and the planet
“Peace is the foundation of that recovery. The global vaccination effort cannot advance amid armed conflict.
“Nor can we build a sustainable, resilient, peaceful world while we are at war with nature.
“Recovery efforts offer an opportunity to transform our relationship with our planet and our environment.
“The world cannot go back to what it was.
“As we count down to the International Day of Peace, I call on people everywhere to be part of a transformation for peace, by standing up against hatred and discrimination, by caring for the planet, and by showing the global solidarity that is so vital at this time,” the UN scribe said.
