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IPCR, SFCG urge action to save democracy from conflict drivers
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and Search for Common Ground (SFCG) have called for efforts to address conflict drivers threatening democracy.
The organisations made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a joint news conference to commemorate the 2026 Democracy Day.
The Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, said democracy remained the best form of government and depended on active citizen participation.
According to him, weak civic engagement, voter apathy and poor democratic culture continue to challenge democratic consolidation in Nigeria.
Mr Ochogwu said IPCR’s conflict assessments showed that many pressures on democracy stemmed from citizen disengagement rather than democracy itself.
He urged Nigerians, especially youths, to participate actively in elections and governance processes to strengthen democratic institutions.
The IPCR boss described electoral violence, intimidation and coercive political practices as serious threats to democratic development.
He called on political actors, electoral institutions, security agencies, media organisations and civil society groups to promote peaceful political engagement.
Mr Ochogwu also expressed concern over the increasing monetisation of politics, saying it excluded ordinary citizens from meaningful participation.
He identified terrorism, banditry, organised crime and violent extremism as major threats undermining governance and public confidence in institutions.
Responding to questions, Mr Ochogwu said insecurity would not prevent the conduct of elections in 2027.
He urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country and to continue supporting democratic processes.
The Director of Programmes, Search for Common Ground, Gift Omoniwa, said protecting democracy required addressing insecurity and conflict drivers.
Mrs Omoniwa said banditry, kidnapping and violent extremism continued to threaten peace, stability and democratic governance across Nigeria.
She stressed the need for inclusive approaches that address root causes of conflict and promote peaceful coexistence.
According to her, vulnerable youths remain targets for recruitment by violent groups, posing risks to national security and democracy.
She advocated greater youth empowerment, economic opportunities and meaningful participation in governance processes.
Mrs Omoniwa disclosed that SFCG and IPCR recently conducted conflict assessments in Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Taraba states.
She said the findings were being shared with stakeholders to support evidence-based interventions and conflict prevention efforts.
The interventions include strengthening early warning systems, peace committees and livelihood programmes in affected communities.
Mrs Omoniwa expressed confidence that the measures would support peaceful and credible elections in 2027.
She reaffirmed SFCG’s commitment to working with government institutions, civil society groups and communities to promote peace and democratic governance.
(NAN)
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SPECIAL REPORT: Why Nigerians Should Celebrate Team Nigeria’s Historic Commonwealth Games Campaign—And the Best May Still Be Yet to Come
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are far from over, yet Team Nigeria has already produced a campaign that deserves to be celebrated across the country.
This is not simply because of the medals won so far. It is because Nigerian athletes are breaking records, ending decades-long droughts, reaching historic finals and restoring the country’s status as one of the Commonwealth’s sporting powerhouses.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that Glasgow 2026 is being contested in just 10 sports—the smallest Commonwealth Games programme in more than three decades. With fewer sports comes fewer medal opportunities, making every podium finish more valuable than at previous editions.
Yet Team Nigeria has continued to shine.
The country’s weightlifters have once again reminded the world why Nigeria remains a global force in the sport. Edidiong Umoafia, Onome Didih and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal did not just win gold medals—they rewrote the record books with Commonwealth Games record-breaking performances that announced Nigeria’s dominance on the platform.
On the track, Kayinsola Ajayi ended a 20-year wait for a Nigerian medal in the men’s 100 metres by winning bronze in Glasgow. Since Olusoji Fasuba’s silver medal in Melbourne in 2006, no Nigerian male sprinter had climbed the Commonwealth Games podium in the blue-riband event. Ajayi has now revived Nigeria’s proud sprint tradition and shown that the country can once again challenge the Commonwealth’s fastest men.
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the Games came through Temitope Adeshina, whose bronze medal in the women’s high jump ended a remarkable 72-year wait for a Nigerian Commonwealth Games medal in the event. She also became the first Nigerian woman ever to win a Commonwealth Games high jump medal and only the third Nigerian in history to stand on the podium after Josiah Majekodunmi (1950) and Emmanuel Ifeajuna (1954).
History has also been made in the swimming pool.
Abduljabar Adama reached the men’s 50m butterfly final, a landmark achievement for Nigerian swimming. At a Games where countries like Australia, England and Canada traditionally dominate the pool, seeing a Nigerian contest a sprint butterfly final is another sign that the nation is making progress in sports where success has been rare.
On the basketball court, Nigeria’s women’s Wheelchair 3×3 team secured the country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games victory in the event by defeating India, earning a place in the quarterfinals and opening another exciting chapter in Nigerian para sport.
Even the athletes who narrowly missed the podium have contributed to this remarkable campaign. Seventeen-year-old Miracle Ezechukwu reached the women’s 100m semi-finals on her Commonwealth Games debut, while Favour Ashe and Nicholas Fakorede came within touching distance of the men’s 100m final, underlining the depth of Nigeria’s sprint programme.
Behind these achievements is a renewed belief within Team Nigeria.
The National Sports Commission’s athlete-first reforms—including improved welfare, better preparation and immediate financial rewards for medal winners—have created an environment in which athletes can focus on performance. The results are now evident in Glasgow, where Nigerian competitors continue to rise to the occasion against some of the Commonwealth’s best.
Most importantly, the Games are not over.
Nigeria still has athletes competing in athletics, boxing, swimming, para-athletics and other medal events. More opportunities remain, more finals are ahead, and more history could still be written before the curtain falls on Glasgow 2026.
For Nigerians at home and around the world, this is not just a successful Commonwealth Games campaign—it is a statement of resilience, preparation and renewed ambition.
From ending a 72-year medal drought in the high jump, to breaking a 20-year jinx in the men’s 100m, reaching a historic swimming final, recording a first-ever wheelchair basketball victory and rewriting the Commonwealth Games record books in weightlifting, Team Nigeria has already given the nation countless reasons to celebrate.
And if the performances so far are any indication, the biggest celebrations may still lie ahead.
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