Rotary International President Urges Grassroots Peacebuilding, Institutional Reforms to Tackle Nigeria’s Insecurity
The President of Rotary International, Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, has called for a comprehensive approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, stressing that lasting peace cannot be achieved through military operations and government interventions alone without grassroots participation, institutional reforms and social justice.
Babalola made the call on Saturday at the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit in Lagos, where he urged government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society organisations and citizens to work collectively towards building a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous nation.
He said Nigeria must move beyond conventional security responses to address the underlying conditions that fuel conflict, including weak institutions, social exclusion, inequality and limited access to justice and economic opportunities.
The Rotary International President noted that Nigeria had demonstrated considerable experience in conflict resolution and peacekeeping through its contributions to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United Nations peace support operations.
He, however, argued that the country must now deploy the lessons from those international engagements to address its domestic security and social challenges.
“Our work in Liberia and other parts of Africa shows that we have the experience and ability to help prevent and manage conflict beyond our borders.
“Now it is time to turn those energies inward — to bring our commitment to building peace among our neighbours and the world back home,” he said.
Babalola emphasised that peace should not be defined merely as the absence of violence but as the existence of social conditions, institutions and relationships that enable people to coexist peacefully.
According to him, sustainable peace must emerge from communities through mutual understanding, justice, trust and a shared commitment to national development.
“But we cannot impose peace. We must nurture it from the very roots of our society so it may grow into a great tree that will feed and shelter all of us under its protective embrace,” he stated.
He explained that Rotary’s peacebuilding philosophy was anchored on the concept of Positive Peace, which emphasises the attitudes, institutions and structures necessary to prevent violence and sustain harmonious societies.
The Rotary chief maintained that effective peacebuilding required the participation of every segment of society, rather than exclusive reliance on security agencies and public institutions.
“Here in Nigeria, meaningful peace cannot rely on our security forces and government institutions alone. It requires every level of society to come together for the betterment of all,” he said.
Babalola challenged Nigerians to examine their individual and collective responsibilities in addressing the country’s challenges, stressing that meaningful national transformation must begin with changes in attitudes, conduct and institutional practices.
“Before we can create lasting impact in Nigeria, we must first have the courage to change ourselves, whether we are members of Rotary or not.
“We cannot continue to do what we have always done and expect our great tree of peace to magically sprout from the ground. We must nurture our country and ourselves with all our being,” he added.
He advocated a society where citizens enjoy equal access to justice, opportunities and dignity, regardless of ethnicity, religion, social background or circumstances of birth.
According to him, Nigeria’s future depends on the willingness of its people to recognise their shared interests, respect diversity and reject violence and divisive tendencies.
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“A future where differences are respected, where violence is rejected, and where we all come together, not as different groups in competition, but as Nigerians in harmony,” he said.
Babalola urged participants to translate the summit’s discussions into practical initiatives capable of strengthening community relationships, rebuilding public confidence in institutions and improving the living conditions of vulnerable populations.
He said Rotary could contribute to these objectives through community engagement, humanitarian interventions, partnerships and programmes that promote social inclusion and peaceful coexistence.
“This summit is an opportunity to turn our shared commitment to peace into practical action — to take mere words and transform them into a bright future for us and all our children,” he stated.
The Rotary International President also encouraged members of the organisation across Nigeria to make peacebuilding a lasting legacy of their humanitarian service.
He stressed that the success of the initiative should be measured not by declarations made at conferences but by tangible improvements in the lives of communities and future generations.
“Our true measure of success is not the words we share among ourselves today, but the impact of our actions that lasts generation after generation,” he said.
In her presentation, the Director of Partnerships at the Institute for Economics and Peace, Lea Prekerests, explained that sustainable peace required a broader understanding of the relationship between security, governance and social development.
She distinguished between Negative Peace, which refers to the absence of violence or fear of violence, and Positive Peace, which encompasses the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.
Prekerests emphasised that while the absence of violence was important, lasting stability depended on strengthening the underlying conditions that enable communities to resolve disputes peacefully and prevent conflicts from recurring.
She maintained that Positive Peace provided the foundation for sustainable development, institutional resilience and long-term social harmony.
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force and Rotary International to improve community relations, promote public trust and strengthen grassroots peacebuilding initiatives.
Represented by Assistant Inspector-General of Police Miller Dantawaye, the IGP said sustainable security required partnerships that connected law enforcement institutions with the communities they served.
He emphasised that cooperation between the police, civil society organisations and community leaders could help strengthen public confidence, encourage responsible citizenship and improve access to justice.
“Let us translate that principle into action. Let us work together to build communities where justice is accessible, institutions are trusted, citizens are responsible and every individual can live with dignity, security and hope. That is the foundation of lasting peace,” he said.
The police chief subsequently proposed the establishment of a formal partnership platform between the Nigeria Police Force and Rotary International to strengthen institutional cooperation and community engagement.
“Let me therefore take the first bold step of appealing to the RI President that we jointly fix a date for the first official Police/Rotary fellowship that will be jointly presided over by the IGP and RI President to kick-start the collaboration,” he stated.
The proposed fellowship is expected to provide an avenue for sustained engagement between the police and Rotary members on community security, public enlightenment, institutional trust and conflict prevention.
The summit brought together stakeholders from the security, humanitarian, development and civic sectors to explore practical approaches to peacebuilding in Nigeria, with emphasis on grassroots participation, stronger institutions and collaborative action.
By PRNigeria
