Prof. Ngamen Kouassi Calls for Strategic Grassroots Peace-Building Ahead of 2027 Elections
By Igbotako Nowinta
Warri, Delta State.
Renowned peace and conflict scholar, Prof. Cyrille Dalex Ngamen Kouassi, has called for urgent and strategic grassroots peace-building initiatives to guarantee a peaceful and credible 2027 general election in Nigeria.
Prof. Ngamen Kouassi made the call while delivering a guest lecture at the inauguration of the Niger Delta Peace Network (NDPN) and a one-day peace summit held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the MBB Event Centre, along Refinery Road, Warri, Delta State.
Speaking on the theme, “Strategic Grassroots Peace-Building and Advocacy for a Successful 2027 Election,” the peace expert warned that the increasing wave of conflicts across Africa demands urgent attention and a complete rethink of existing peace-building approaches.
According to him, although history has shown that conflict remains a natural, inevitable and sometimes constructive process, the disturbing manner in which conflicts now erupt in post-colonial African societies has become a major concern.
He lamented that from the North to the South, East to West, modern Africa has gradually turned into a conflict-ridden battleground despite its former reputation as a continent known for peace and communal harmony.
Prof. Ngamen Kouassi, currently Director, Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at the Glorious Vision University, Ogwa, Edo State, noted that the current methods being adopted in promoting peace may no longer align with the authentic African traditional systems of conflict management and resolution, insisting that Africans must now look inward for sustainable solutions.
“In that case, I am of the opinion that we should look inward and something urgent must be done,” he declared.
The university don stressed that strategic grassroots peace-building and advocacy must become deliberate, unique and people-driven if peace must truly be achieved and sustained in present-day Africa, especially in Nigeria.
He further advocated for the adoption of the philosophies of global peace icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as models for non-violent engagement, reconciliation and national healing.
Highlighting key peace practices and strategies before, during and after elections, Prof. Ngamen Kouassi identified peace pacts and pledges as critical tools for ensuring peaceful electoral conduct.
He explained that such agreements encourage political candidates to commit themselves to peaceful campaigns, accept election outcomes and restrain their supporters from violence, citing Nigeria and Kenya as notable examples.
He also emphasized the importance of Community Mediation Panels involving elders, religious leaders and youths to mediate disputes before they escalate into violence.
On the role of the media, he advocated for Peace Journalism through the training of media professionals in conflict-sensitive reporting to avoid inflammatory language capable of heightening tensions.
The peace scholar equally underscored the significance of youth engagement in peace-building through the establishment of youth-led monitoring teams to track and report incidents of violence and intimidation using digital tools.
He further recommended aggressive media campaigns using radio, television and social media platforms to spread messages of peace and national unity, referencing Uganda’s “Pledge Peace Campaign,” which deployed entertainment and skits to promote harmony.
Prof. Ngamen Kouassi also called for preventive diplomacy through active engagement of local and international actors in facilitating dialogue among political parties to de-escalate tensions before, during and after elections.
He added that monitoring and evaluation of peace interventions through research and data analysis remain essential in refining peace-building strategies and ensuring smooth democratic transitions.
According to him, organizations such as the National Peace Committee in Nigeria, alongside international bodies including the United Nations, continue to play strategic roles in sustaining peace and democratic stability.