The Foundation for Peace Professionals, also known as PeacePro, has introduced a comprehensive plan for national reconciliation in Nigeria. Led by Executive Director Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the organization is advocating for a truthful and courageous approach to addressing the country’s troubled past. According to Hamzat, Nigeria cannot achieve unity by simply covering up its deep-seated scars, and true reconciliation requires acknowledgment of past wrongs and a willingness to apologize.

The PeacePro blueprint outlines a series of apologies to be made across various regions, communities, and institutions. The proposed apologies include the South East apologizing to the Niger Delta for past political maneuvers, as well as for the 1966 military coup that altered Nigeria’s political trajectory. The North is also urged to apologize for the pogroms against the Igbo, while the Federal Government should apologize for decades of insecurity, corruption, and economic hardship.

Furthermore, the Fulani leadership is encouraged to apologize to victims of banditry and herders-related violence, and the three major ethnic groups – Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo – should apologize to minority groups for decades of marginalization. Additionally, Christians and Muslims are urged to apologize to each other for mutual intolerance, and to traditional worshipers for discrimination and exclusion.

Hamzat emphasizes that the blueprint is not intended to provoke division, but rather to liberate Nigeria from decades of denial and unaddressed trauma. He stresses that an apology is a sign of leadership and maturity, and a necessary step towards healing. The organization’s proposal concludes with a call for national forgiveness, not as a means of dismissing the past, but as a requirement for building a united and peaceful nation.

The PeacePro initiative has sparked intense national debate, with many Nigerians welcoming the opportunity for honest reflection and reconciliation. As Nigeria stands at a historic crossroads, the organization’s bold intervention challenges not just the government, but every Nigerian, to choose healing over hurt and unity over division. With this move, PeacePro has underscored the importance of confronting the country’s painful past in order to build a more peaceful and united future. The success of this initiative will depend on the willingness of various groups and individuals to engage in a truthful and courageous dialogue, and to work towards a collective forgiveness that can pave the way for national healing and reconciliation.