The Peace Corps of Nigeria and its institutional partners celebrated the 2023 United Nations International Day of Peace in Abuja on Thursday, calling for action to promote peace and security in Nigeria and around the world.
The event, which was held at the Unity Fountain, featured media interaction, a candlelight procession, tree planting, and the painting of the Unity Fountain.
In his keynote address, the National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dr. Dickson Akoh, said that the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals”, is apt and timely.
“We are being confronted with a profound singular enemy, which is insecurity,” Dr. Akoh said. “But we can overcome these challenges if all Nigerians work together to promote peace and unity.”
Dr. Akoh also called on the Nigerian government to address the root causes of insecurity, such as bad governance, poor resource control, ethnoreligious fanatism, unemployment, and human rights violations.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his message to mark the International Day of Peace, said that “our world needs peace – now more than ever”. He said that conflict, rising inequalities, persistent injustices, humanity’s war on nature, and a global financial system that is outdated, dysfunctional, and unfair are blocking the path to peace.
The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually on September 21. It is a day to promote peace and unity around the world.
