Dialogue can resolve most security challenges in North-Central — Presidential aide

By Kunle Sanni –

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, has said nearly 70 per cent of security challenges in the North-Central region can be resolved through non-kinetic means anchored on communities.

She stated this on Tuesday at a capacity-building training for stakeholders across the North-Central held at the State House, Abuja.

“From our analysis, nearly 70 percent of the security challenges in the North-Central can be addressed through dialogue, reconciliation, intelligence sharing, and community engagement, rather than through force alone,” she said.

Recalling the June 5 launch of the Presidential Community Engagement Peace Initiative (PCEPI) in Jos, Plateau State, Essiet added: “That historic event was a significant step in our collective journey toward fostering unity, strengthening social cohesion, and empowering communities to take ownership of their peace processes.”

She announced that, in line with Nigeria’s implementation of United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations, her office is partnering with the International Communities Organisation (ICO) on a project titled “Promoting Community Peace and Strengthening Social Cohesion in North-Central Nigeria.”

“At the heart of this initiative is the establishment of a peace structure that will cut across all the 110 local government areas in the North-Central region,” Essiet explained.

“This structure will not just exist in name; it will be an active platform focusing on gathering and sharing intelligence, facilitating continuous dialogue, and helping us identify underlying issues and root causes of conflict. Ultimately, this peace structure will serve as the backbone of sustainable peacebuilding in our region,” she noted.