Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, recently spoke at a conference on youth leadership titled “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa.” He called on youth to be advocates of conversation over violence, highlighting the critical role that youth play in promoting peace.
According to Obasanjo’s article in Punch, the country shown resiliency during the civil war by returning to the roundtable for settlement in spite of severe conflicts. He exhorted the youth of today to adopt this mindset and convince those who lean violently to think twice. Additionally, he emphasized the significance of fostering a culture of peace and empathy in the next generation.
In Obasanjo’s words: “During the civil war, we killed ourselves mercilessly and destroyed our best facilities but we still came back to the roundtable to get the challenge resolved. Youths must develop the culture of peace, the culture of humaneness, the culture of living the way God wants us to live”
