The Ogwus Youth Empowerment and Community Development Organisation (OYECDO) has called on governments, civil society, and international partners to prioritise youth inclusion and grassroots-led initiatives in global peacebuilding efforts.
Speaking at the United Nations International Day of Peace 2025, organised by the Institute of Global Peace and Conflict Management in Lagos, Chinedu Ogwus, OYECDO President, said youth must be recognised not only as beneficiaries of peace but as architects of it.
“With peace as the foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals, we must act now to integrate peacebuilding into every development initiative. Governments must open policymaking spaces to young people, civil society must invest in grassroots peacebuilding, and international partners must support local solutions with global solidarity.” Ogwus said
Highlighting the organisation’s initiatives, Ogwus, in a statement, noted that OYECDO has trained more than 1,200 youth in conflict resolution and civic leadership, supported over 40 youth-led businesses through its ‘Peace Through Enterprise’ program, and distributed 270 solar-powered lights to underserved communities in the Niger Delta.
The group has also introduced peace education programs in schools, reaching more than 5,000 students, and partnered with local leaders to resolve communal tensions through football tournaments. A notable collaboration with the Upata Unity Cup, Ogwus revealed, led to four young footballers being scouted into the De Cardinal Football Academy, affiliated with Rivers United FC.
He added that in Lagos, OYECDO partnered with the Coalition of Nigerian Youths on Security and Safety Affairs to launch the EKO SAFE Project in April 2025. The initiative focuses on road safety awareness, particularly discouraging mobile phone use while driving.
Beyond statistics, Ogwus stressed that OYECDO’s mission is about transformation, turning former street children into community organisers, empowering young women to lead cooperatives, and helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society. He added that such youth-focused interventions have contributed to reducing oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta.
“Our Peace Circles, organised around football tournaments, have united elders, youth, and local leaders, resolving long-standing communal tensions. Notably, our collaboration with the Upata Unity Cup football Tournament led to four talented footballers being scouted and admitted into the De Cardinal Football
Academy, affiliated with Rivers United Football Club.
“Through our reintegration and healing workshops, we have worked with former youth offenders and displaced persons, providing psychosocial support, vocational training, and pathways to reintegration. These efforts have contributed to a notable reduction in oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta, supporting increased national oil production as reported in January and February 2025.
“As young people, we must rise to speak, act, and lead. Let our voices be the anthem of justice, our hands the builders of bridges, and our hearts the compass of compassion.”
The event, held under the global theme “Act Now for a Peaceful World,” brought together policymakers, civil society leaders, youth organisations, and international partners committed to advancing peace through inclusive development.
