The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, has called for urgent and collective action to address escalating global and domestic conflicts, warning that delayed responses to peace challenges are no longer acceptable.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at a press conference marking the 2025 International Day of Peace and the IPCR’s 25th anniversary, Ochogwu said the theme, “Act Now for a Peaceful World,” reflects the urgency of peacebuilding at all levels. “The imperative to act now reflects the reality that peace cannot be deferred, delegated, or delayed. It requires immediate, sustained, and coordinated action from individuals, institutions, and nations,” he stated.
Established in 2000 under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IPCR has intervened in communal disputes, electoral violence, and insurgency-related crises over the past 25 years. According to Ochogwu, its early warning systems and rapid response efforts have saved lives and strengthened social cohesion. He noted that the Institute has trained thousands of peace practitioners and provided conflict assessment reports that shaped government policies.
Ochogwu warned that Nigeria still faces persistent challenges such as insurgency, banditry, electoral violence, and ethnic clashes. He urged government, civil society, media, and traditional institutions to strengthen conflict prevention measures. “Government at all levels must prioritise conflict prevention, invest in peace-building infrastructure, and ensure that development policies are conflict-sensitive and inclusive,” he said.
He also stressed the need for multilateral institutions to defend international cooperation against growing global pushback, while urging the media to embrace conflict-sensitive reporting to foster reconciliation.
As part of its silver jubilee, the IPCR will host interfaith prayers on September 19 and 21, a peace walk and lecture on September 22, and a “Sport for Peace & Mental Health Clinic” to integrate physical activity with trauma support.
Ochogwu reaffirmed that peace cannot be postponed. “Let us act now, not tomorrow, not next year, but today, for a peaceful world. The time for peace is always now,” he declared.
