Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, recently delivered a powerful message at a youth leadership symposium on “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa.”
In his address, he emphasized the pivotal role of young people in fostering peace, urging them to be champions of dialogue over violence.
Obasanjo highlighted the nation’s resilience during the civil war, where despite devastating conflicts, parties returned to the roundtable for resolution. He encouraged today’s youth to emulate this spirit, urging them to persuade those inclined toward violence to reconsider. He also stressed the importance of cultivating a culture of peace and empathy among the youth.
During the civil war, Nigeria experienced intense conflict and destruction. However, it was the resilience of the people and their ability to come back to the table that allowed for a resolution to be reached. Obasanjo believes that this spirit of peacebuilding should be carried forward by the youth of today.
In his words, “During the civil war, we killed ourselves mercilessly and destroyed our best facilities but we still came back to the roundtable to get the challenge resolved. Youths must develop the culture of peace, the culture of humaneness, the culture of living the way God wants us to live.”
