Federal government yesterday announced the launching of the National Traditional Leaders Summit on Mediation, Conflict Management and Peace building.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Abbas Hashim, said the initiative is geared towards making traditional institutions as alternative dispute resolution organs.
Hashim, who spoke at a news conference, also said the initiative represents President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to inclusive governance.
He said it also represents Tinubu’s commitment to community-driven peace processes and the revitalisation of “our time-honoured traditional institutions.
Hashim said the summit would bring together, 350 traditional leaders across the 36 states and the FCT.
According to him, the summit which will last for 10 months will systematically engage the six geopolitical zones through intensive programmes designed to enhance capacity building in modern mediation techniques.
“It will deepen the understanding of democratic institutions and electoral processes, develop skills in post-conflict reconciliation and community healing, and promote inclusive governance that ensures meaningful participation of women, youths and marginalised groups.
“Nigeria’s traditional institution stands as a monument of endurance, wisdom and legacy.
“For countries, long before the advent of modern state structures, our royal fathers and the traditional council members served as custodians of peace, justice and community cohesion.
“Today, 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.
“Our royal fathers possess what modern institutions often struggle to attain: deep cultural authority that transcends political affiliations and intimate knowledge of local contexts.
“They possess community dynamics and moral legitimacy that enables honest dialogue between conflicting parties and extensive social networks that reach every household within their jurisdiction” he said.
Hashim identified royal fathers as the first responders when tension arise, trusted mediators when there is disagreement between neighbours, as
well as guardians of social harmony in the event of division in communities.
He said President Bola Tinubu believes deeply in the powers of traditional institutions to transform the country’s peace architecture, strengthen democracy and preserve the best of our cultural heritage, while embracing the necessary evolution..
“Together, we will preserve indigenous wisdom, while building capacity for contemporary challenges.
“Together, we will ensure that Nigeria’s traditional institutions remain not just relevant, but central to our nation’s peace,stability and democratic consolidation”, he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the event was organised by the Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Matters in collaboration with the Research Centre for Advocacy and Policy Advisory in Africa, ReCAP, among others. NAN
