Rotary President urges Nigerians to build peace from the grassroots

The President of Rotary International, Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, has urged Nigerians to prioritise grassroots participation, institutional reforms and national unity in efforts to address the country's security challenges.

Babalola said lasting peace could not be achieved through military operations and government institutions alone, stressing the need for communities and citizens to play active roles in promoting peaceful coexistence.

He 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 and civil society organisations to work together towards building a peaceful and prosperous country.

The Rotary president noted that Nigeria had contributed to peacekeeping and conflict management across Africa through its involvement in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and United Nations peace support operations.

He, however, said the country needed to apply some of the experience gained from those efforts to resolving its internal 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 maintained that peace should not be understood simply as the absence of violence, explaining that sustainable peace depended on institutions, social attitudes and structures that encourage peaceful coexistence.

“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 said.

He explained that Rotary's approach to peacebuilding was based on the concept of Positive Peace, which emphasises strong institutions, social inclusion, access to opportunities and community participation as essential conditions for preventing conflict.

According to him, meaningful peace in Nigeria requires the involvement of all sections of society rather than exclusive reliance on security agencies and government institutions.

He also urged Nigerians to examine their individual and collective contributions to national development, arguing that meaningful change must begin with a shift in attitudes and institutional practices.

Babalola called for a country where everyone enjoys equal access to justice, opportunities and dignity, regardless of ethnic, religious or social background.

He further urged participants at the summit to translate discussions and resolutions into practical initiatives that would improve communities and strengthen trust between citizens and public institutions.

Speaking at the event, the Director of Partnerships at the Institute for Economics and Peace, Lea Prekerests, distinguished between Negative Peace, which refers to the absence of violence or fear of violence, and Positive Peace, which involves the attitudes, institutions and structures that sustain peaceful societies.

Also speaking, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, represented by Assistant Inspector-General of Police Miller Dantawaye, called for stronger collaboration between Rotary International and the Nigeria Police Force.

Disu proposed a joint police-Rotary fellowship to strengthen partnerships between security institutions and communities, as well as between government and citizens.

He said the collaboration should help build communities where justice is accessible, institutions are trusted and individuals can live with dignity and security.