Warri Peace Initiative Inaugurates 30 Grassroots Peace Influencers to Strengthen Inter-Ethnic Peace

Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo representatives receive early-warning and mediation training and agree shared actions to consolidate peace

 Thirty representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities have been inaugurated as grassroots Peace Influencers following a three-day Peace Consolidation and Resilience Session aimed at strengthening early conflict detection, mediation and peaceful coexistence in Warri.

The residential session was convened under Phase Two of the Warri Peace Community Support Initiative (WPCSI) by its Joint Implementation Committee, with support from the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).

Participants included signatories to the presidential peace intervention and representatives of women, youth and community leadership groups. Through structured dialogue, practical exercises and joint planning, they examined emerging threats to peace and agreed priority actions for sustaining cooperation among the three ethnic nationalities.

The newly inaugurated WPCSI Peace Influencers received training in Conflict Early Warning and Early Response, mediation and conflict-sensitive communication. They will help identify and report emerging tensions, support timely community responses and promote dialogue before disputes escalate.

Speaking at the inauguration, Hon. Sylvester Okoh, J.P., Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), WPCSI;
said the session marked an important shift from high-level peace commitments to community-led action. “Peace cannot be sustained by agreements alone. It requires trusted people within communities who can recognise warning signs, open channels of communication and help resolve tensions before they escalate. These Peace Influencers represent a shared commitment by the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo communities to protect the gains already made and take collective responsibility for peace.”

The session builds on the first phase of WPCSI, which helped de-escalate tensions through sustained stakeholder engagement, advocacy and public peace messaging. Phase Two focuses on consolidating those gains by strengthening local capacity, rebuilding relationships and establishing practical mechanisms for community-level peace action.

Delivering remarks on behalf of PIND’s Executive Director, Mr Sam Ogbemi Daibo, PIND’s Advocacy Manager, Mr Chuks Ofulue, said equipping community influencers with practical skills and connecting them to wider response systems would help communities address risks earlier and more effectively.
“Sustainable peace depends on communities having the relationships, skills, platforms and systems to manage tensions constructively. By connecting these grassroots Peace Influencers to PIND’s Early Warning and Early Response system, the initiative creates a stronger bridge between local information, coordinated action and timely intervention,” Ofulue said.

PIND’s Peacebuilding Program Manager, Dr David Udofia, added that the willingness and readiness of community leaders to respond voluntarily and promptly to conflict alerts would be critical to sustaining peace and development.

Participants also developed shared commitments outlining how community representatives, traditional institutions, women, young people and other stakeholders can promote dialogue, responsible communication and peaceful coexistence.

The Peace Influencers will serve as community peace champions, contributing grassroots information to PIND’s Early Warning and Early Response system to support timely action. Continued engagement, coordination and peer learning will reinforce their work beyond the session.

The initiative underscores a central lesson from Warri’s peace process: lasting stability requires more than the absence of violence. It depends on trusted relationships, broad-based participation and community-led mechanisms that can prevent conflict and sustain cooperation.

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