PEPNET URGES STRONGER PEACE EDUCATION APPROACH AS NIGERIA FACES RISING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND SECURITY THREATS

On International Human Rights Day, and at the close of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Peace Education and Practice Network (PEPNET) expresses deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening human rights situation, escalating insecurity, and the growing impact of violence on children, women, and vulnerable communities. PEPNET calls for urgent, sustained investment in peace education as a strategic and long-term solution that addresses the root causes of conflict and inequality.

Throughout 2025, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in abductions, mass killings, banditry, communal clashes, gender-based violence, and attacks on schools. The abduction of students and teachers in Niger and Kebbi States, and repeated assaults on rural communities, underscore the ongoing fragility of Nigeria’s internal security landscape. Recent security reforms introduced by government authorities indicate awareness of the crisis, but meaningful progress requires consistency, transparency, and deeper engagement with citizens.

Nigeria’s Current Realities

• Increasing attacks on schools violate children’s right to education and leave families and communities traumatised.
• Banditry and rural violence continue to displace thousands, destabilise livelihoods, and heighten humanitarian needs.
• Gender-based violence remains pervasive, despite intensified awareness campaigns during the 16 Days of Activism.
• Hate narratives, misinformation, and online incitement worsen polarisation and undermine social cohesion.
• Human rights concerns, including freedom of expression, religious freedom, due process, and the dignity of internally displaced persons, remain pressing.

These challenges highlight a national need for more than military responses. While security operations play a role, they cannot substitute for long-term human development approaches that strengthen mindsets, values, civic responsibility, and peaceful social norms. Peace education provides a sustainable pathway for prevention, resilience building, and the transformation of harmful attitudes that fuel violence.

PEPNET’s Call to Action
PEPNET calls on stakeholders to:

• Government: Integrate peace education into national and state curricula; expand teacher training; prioritise psychosocial support for affected communities; and adopt community-centred early warning and response systems.
• Security Agencies: Complement security operations with public communication, community engagement, and trust-building mechanisms that reduce fear and misinformation.
• Civil Society and Development Partners: Increase support for peace media, youth leadership, gender-based violence prevention, digital peacebuilding, peace clubs, and community dialogue programmes.
• Traditional, Religious, and Community Leaders: Promote values of empathy, dignity, and responsible communication while countering harmful rhetoric that fuels division.
• Youth and Women-Led Groups: Be meaningfully included in local and national peace processes, given their unique role in preventing violence and rebuilding trust.

A Human Rights and Peacebuilding Imperative
As the world marks International Human Rights Day and reflects on the 16 Days of Activism, PEPNET stresses that sustainable peace is inseparable from human rights protection. Preventing violence against women and children, safeguarding education, promoting justice, and strengthening community resilience all require deliberate and ongoing peace education efforts.

PEPNET’s Commitment
PEPNET reaffirms its commitment to advancing peace education across Nigeria through innovative programmes, digital peace initiatives, teacher support systems, community peace dialogues, and capacity-building for young leaders. The organisation will continue working with national partners, regional bodies, and international organisations to strengthen Nigeria’s peace and human rights ecosystem in 2026 and beyond.

For more information, contact:
Peace Education and Practice Network (PEPNET)
Mpape, Abuja F.C.T, Nigeria
Email: ppepnet@gmail.com
Phone: +234 703 157 2337 | +234 810 966 1910
Website: www.thepepnet.org