Nigerians have been urged to work towards building an enduring peace, unity, tranquillity, love and stability, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political party affiliation, as the world prepares to celebrate the 2025 International Day of Peace on September 21.
The call was made by the Commandant General of the National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC), Dr Chinedu Nneji, during a press briefing to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Peace in Abuja.
Dr Nneji remarked that every individual has specific roles to play, starting from peacekeepers on the front lines to community members and students alike, to ensure peaceful coexistence among the citizens.
“It is said that ‘he who enjoys a facility, must contribute to its upkeep, ‘ and so since everyone enjoys a peaceful, cordial and conducive atmosphere or environment, every member of the society must contribute to have and maintain an
enduring and sustainable peaceful environment,” he said.
He stressed the theme of this year’s celebration, tagged “Act now for a peaceful world”, saying that it serves as a wake-up call to action for individuals, society and communities to actively engage and participate in all efforts to foster peace, love, understanding and nonviolence in society.
“It is our duty and responsibility as citizens to challenge violence, hate, and discrimination by truthfully speaking out against these social vices anywhere we notice their existence,” he emphasised.
“We are all encouraged at all times and in all places to embrace diversity and practice respect for different and diverse voices, opinions, faiths and perspectives. We must all be engaged in our community affairs to foster understanding and cooperation. Life without sacrifice is worth nothing, and so we must all engage in volunteerism,” Dr Nneji said.
The Commandant General noted that people must imbibe the spirit of verifying everything they read to ascertain their authenticity before sharing to avoid spreading fake news, and must be very thorough in vetting what they share with society while avoiding hate speech.
“Anywhere we find ourselves, there’s a need to spark conversation on the essence of fighting social vices in our society. Issues like the need for non-violence, disarmament and global cooperation should be on the front burner of our discussions,” he said.
Dr Nnneji, however,, remarked that the advancement in science and technology, especially artificial intelligence, if not properly deployed, may have some adverse effects on society, noting that society must not only speak but act now against the negative impact of scientific innovations on the world.