The Peace and Security Network (PSN), currently housed by Mercy Corps was earlier labelled Peace and Security Working Group (PSWG) under the auspices of Nigeria Stability & Reconstruction Programme (NSRP). The PSN is a platform for peace and security analysis, advocacy, coordination and confidence building. The platform is made up of several civil society actors, international donors/agencies and foreign embassies. I am a valued member of PSN.
PSN is indeed a veritable platform for stakeholder coordination, peace/security activities and strategies to prevent and manage conflicts around Nigeria. The platform seeks to implement its strategies for ensuring political stability in Nigeria in order to engender a favourable environment for economic activities and by extension FDI attraction. PSN was re-launched August 2017, after being relatively inactive after the 2015 general elections in Nigeria. PSN currently has over 350 members!
The last meeting of PSN was hosted by Foundation for Partnerships in the Niger Delta (PIND) in Abuja. The discussions at the meeting centred around two major issues:
*Scenario building towards the 2019 elections in Nigeria and
*Security threat/Election vulnerability assessment
Present at the meeting were representatives of the following:
*CLEEN Foundation
*Foundation for Partnerships in the Niger Delta (PIND)
*International Alert (IA)
*United States Institute for Peace (USIP)
*High Commission of Canada
*National Democratic Institute (NDI)
*Centre for Information Technology & Development (CITAD)
*Fund for Peace (FFP)
In the short period of its 'second coming since August 2017, and under the able leadership of Adeolu Ade Adewumi, a Security Specialist and Manager, PSN. PSN has initiated a 'Confab Series' with the inaugural one held on the 12th of March in Abuja. The inaugural confab was a resounding success. It was held in collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology & Development (CITAD). The lecture, titled: 'Towards 2019 elections: Hate speech & implications for ethnic relations' was delivered by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chairman Savannah Centre, Former UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs & Mediator in Rwanda and Myanmar crises.
The fact that the Manager of PSN has recently been appointed to the Board of the Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution (IPCR), is a pointer to the fact that PSN has made significant impact in such a short time. Besides, PSN has been invited to speak at the next International Press Institute World Congress in June 2018. Ardent readers of my blog would recall that IPCR is the Federal Government's flagship institution for preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in Nigeria and indeed Africa. I retired as Director from IPCR in 2010 after serving my full term of 8years. With all these impressive achievements, PSN is poised to remain a force to reckon with in the peace and security sector.
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