An independent Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Foundation for Peace Professionals (FPP), has rated Osun and Kogi States as most peaceful states in Nigeria.
The group said that Ekiti, Kwara and Imo State, come 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively in the rating even as it rates Yobe, Kebbi, Bauchi, Zamfara and Sokoto State as the five least peaceful states in Nigeria.
“This is apart from Borno State that was not considered in the research due to insufficient data and the Boko Haram red light.”
The Executive Director of Foundation for Peace Professionals (FPP), Ambassador Abdulrazaq Hamzat who made the rating said that explained the methodology used in developing the index, adding that in attempting to rate the level of peace in Nigeria, NPI investigated the extent to which states experience social, economic, political and environmental factors that either hinders or promote peace.
“Five broad indicators were adopted for the index and they include, Level of Poverty, Crime Rate, Level of Education, Rate of Human Rights Abuses and Level of Incarceration.
“We collected data for year 2010-2016, an average of which gives us the result of Nigeria peace Index 2017.
“The NPI was referenced in a special report presented at the United Nations in 2017 by United Network of Young Peace builders titled ‘’Mapping a Sector: Bridging the Evidence Gap on Youth-Driven Peace building.”
At regional level, he said that South West emerged as most peaceful region in Nigeria, having two of its states, Osun and Ekiti as 1st and 3rd most peaceful states on the Nigeria Peace Index.
He said that despite the activities of militancy groups, the South South region still has more tendency of peace than South East, North Central, North West and North East region.
Abdulrazaq noted that measuring peace at the national level allows a country to assess the social, political and economic factors that create peace.
“Human attitudes, which often impede peace is a total summation of human life experiences, which if improved upon may lead to a more peaceful society, and failure of which leaves us with constant unrest.”
The representative of Statistician General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Ichedi S.J commended the efforts of FPP, stating that the organizations effort is an attempt to begin the process of changing Nigeria’s narrative.
He asked FPP to seek collaboration and endorsement from statutory government agencies, even as assured them of the willingness of NBS to provide all necessary support in the future.
Engr. Chinedu Okpalanma, Co-Convener of Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) who unveiled the document expressed delight with the effort put into the index.
According to him, this research work came at a time when Nigeria dearly need peace in its quest for nation building, adding that it will go a long way in providing appropriate policy direction for peace building. [myad]
