Photo: IPCR DG, Dr Bakut Bakut in a group photograph with the inductees, management staff of the institute among others.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) on Tuesday in Abuja inducted 37 course participants who graduated from its National Peace Academy (NPA).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inductees were drawn from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as well as paramilitary and other organizations across the country.
They were awarded membership of the National Peace Institute (MPI) following their graduation from the institute’s Basic Conflict Management Course (BCMC) and/or the Advanced Conflict Management Course (ACMC).
Dr Bakut Bakut, Director-General, IPCR, who conducted the induction ceremony, urged inductees to replicate whatever they learned from the program in their future endeavors, saying the program was of international standards.
According to him, this implies that the inductees are automatically linked to a federal government institution, which has membership worldwide.
Bakut explained that graduates of the program, which is organized by the IPCR Peace Academy, could further undertake the fellowship program leading up to a Master’s degree in conflict management.
He added that the institute ran the Master’s program in collaboration with the University of Ilorin.
Bakut said, “MPI membership is different because it means that you are linked to a federal government agency with membership worldwide, which explains why it has been upgraded to international standards.
“I appreciate the indulgence of the program’s participants who came here and sat down throughout the duration of the various courses which they understudied; you indeed made the right choice.
“I am equally happy that the inductees were committed through not only their coming to spend precious time for the program but also for paying their hard earned money for it.”
The Director-General also disclosed that the institute was already working on building a permanent site for the National Peace Academy, adding that plans had reached advanced stage to that effect.
Dr Peters Maji, Country Director, Equal Access International, while delivering a keynote address at the event, challenged the indictees to deploy the knowledge they had garnered to resolve Nigeria’s security challenges.
Speaking on the topic, “Peacebuilding in a Democratic Era,” he attributed the upsurge in conflicts in Nigeria to what he described as the benefits of “war economy.”
According to him, this scenario occurs where some individuals or groups who are not parties in a conflict sustain the conflict by supplying the oxygen or fuel that is needed to keep the fire burning because of the economic gain which they stand to benefit.
Maji noted that Nigeria’s security challenges had become more diverse due to the perverse proliferation of small and light arms in the country.
He charged the inductees to challenge themselves by professionally thinking outside the box with a view to addressing the root causes of the multifaceted conflicts like terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Maj.-Gen Lawal Abdullahi, an inductee, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, lauded IPCR for organizing the program which enabled participants to acquire knowledge on fresh insight into tackling conflicts.(NAN)
