Stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the Federal Government’s plan to reposition Nigeria’s traditional institutions as key actors in peacebuilding ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They described the forthcoming National Traditional Leaders’ Summit on Mediation, Conflict Management, and Peacebuilding for Sustainable Democracy and Peaceful 2027 General Elections as timely and integral to sustaining peace and stability.
Speaking to Voice of Nigeria, the Head of Northern Operations at the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), Ibrahim Waziri Gimba, said the summit was both timely and important as it would help promote unity and peaceful conduct of the elections.
“This is a very, very important summit as it relates to the upcoming general election in our country. Organising it to me is timely and important. The summit should help actually bring about peace and unity in the country and a peaceful election in 2027,” he said.
Similarly, John Chika Akaiealam from the NCTRN welcomed the initiative, describing it as a long-awaited step that aligns with the traditional institution’s historic role in conflict resolution.
“Traditional rulers are not just custodians of traditional cultures, they have been involved in conflict resolutions from the beginning, and this they have been doing very, very well,” he stated.
The Executive Director of the Research Centre for Advocacy and Policy Advisory in Africa (ReCAP-Africa), Sylvester Nandi-Esom, said the summit seeks to revitalise the traditional institution by strengthening its conflict resolution capacities and reaffirming its central role in sustaining peace.
“Our democracy is sitting at a very fragile state; it is extremely important at this point to come up with this programme to see how we can bring back that peace and a sustainable development that we all yearn for,” Esom said.
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On his part, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr Joseph Ochogwu, said “traditional rulers are very important in the conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict resolution framework within the local community… we need to reaffirm their position, reinforce whatever they do and amplify their role.”
Meanwhile, Ambassador Issah Adedotun Niniola, Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to the President, stressed that “there is no other segment of the society that can promote peace other than the traditional rulers. They are the core people, the closest to the people, and by so doing, we cannot talk about peace management without them.”
On his part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Matters, Alhaji Abbas Tijjani Hashim, reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance and community-driven peace processes.
“Nigeria’s traditional institutions stand as monuments of endurance, wisdom, and legitimacy… Over 150 million Nigerians living within traditional domains look to these institutions not merely as ceremonial relics of the past, but as living, breathing systems of governance that touch their daily lives in profound ways,” Hashim stated.
He said that about 350 traditional leaders from the 36 states and the FCT will be brought together in an intensive capacity-building programme in mediation, reconciliation, and inclusive governance.
Anchored on President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Summit seeks to harness and empower Nigeria’s indigenous knowledge systems to promote peace, strengthen democracy, and ensure stability ahead of the 2027 polls.