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Rotary International President Yinka Babalola
By BONIFACE AKARAH
Rotary International President Yinka Babalola will lead peacebuilding experts, policymakers, academics, security specialists and civil society leaders at the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit 2026 in Lagos on Saturday, November 7.
The summit, organised under the theme, “Good Governance, Justice and Equity: Foundations for Sustainable Peace,” will hold at the Victoria Garden Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
According to the organisers, the gathering will focus on practical solutions to Nigeria’s peace and development challenges, with the aim of producing actionable recommendations, strengthening partnerships and securing commitments towards lasting peace.
The keynote address will be delivered by Lea Perekrest, Director of Partnerships at the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Her presentation, titled “Global Perspectives on Good Governance, Justice and Equity as Foundations for Sustainable Peace,” is scheduled for 10:35 a.m.
The summit will also feature two panel discussions examining governance, justice, national cohesion, security and inclusive participation.
The first panel, “Governance, Justice, Equity and National Cohesion,” will be moderated by Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).
Its panelists include Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Elkana Oyeleye Jaiyeola, security expert; Dr Diamond Preye Nebechukwu, Director of the Abdulmalik Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies; and Professor Richard Aborishade, Professor of Criminology at Olabisi Onabanjo University.
The discussion will examine institutional accountability, access to justice, equitable development and the need to rebuild public confidence in national institutions.
The second panel, “Security, Inclusion and the Future of Peace in Nigeria,” will be moderated by Mrs Ibim Semenitari, an entrepreneur, administrator, journalist and Rotarian.
Panelists are Kaltumi Abdulazeez, humanitarian activist and advocate for women, girls and marginalised communities; Oyebisi B. Oluseyi, Executive Director of The Nigeria Network of NGOs; and Dr Samuel Ajiye.
The session will consider how community engagement, civil society collaboration, inclusive participation and security interventions can contribute to sustainable peace, with particular attention to women, young people and vulnerable communities.
Babalola, who is also the summit convener, will deliver an address on peacebuilding in Nigeria and formally declare the event open.
Goodwill messages are expected from representatives of youth organisations, women’s groups, security institutions and the diplomatic community. They include JCI Nigeria National President, Mr Abisogun Akinbode; Convener of Women on a Mission, Dr Kunbi Wuraola; Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu; and Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Anna Westerholm.
A major feature of the summit will be a session titled “From Dialogue to Action — Key Recommendations from Stakeholders, Commitments and Peace Legacy Agenda,” coordinated by PDG Wole Kukoyi.
The organisers said stakeholders would use the session to identify practical commitments arising from the discussions. The programme will also include the signing of a Peace Legacy Accord and Agenda, as well as the presentation of a summit declaration and communiqué outlining agreed resolutions and next steps.
In a statement announcing the event, the organisers said the summit was designed to move beyond discussions and translate stakeholder engagement into practical action.
“Under the sub-theme ‘From Dialogue to Action: Forging a Sustainable Peace Legacy in Nigeria,’ the gathering aims to go beyond conversation. Organisers say it will produce actionable recommendations, strengthen partnerships and secure stakeholder commitments towards lasting peace.”
The statement added that the summit would provide a platform for collaboration among Rotary leaders, government institutions, peace building professionals, security stakeholders, development organisations and civil society.
It said the event would advance the understanding that sustainable peace is inseparable from good governance, justice, equity and meaningful inclusion.
The statement was signed by Ehi Braimah on behalf of the Media and Communications Committee of the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit 2026.
