The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro), led by Executive Director Abdulrazaq Hamzat, has unveiled a comprehensive plan for national reconciliation in Nigeria. Hamzat argues that unity cannot be achieved by covering up the country’s deep‑seated scars; true reconciliation requires acknowledging past wrongs and offering sincere apologies.
The PeacePro blueprint proposes a series of apologies across regions, communities and institutions. It calls on the South East to apologize to the Niger Delta for past political maneuvers and for the 1966 military coup that altered Nigeria’s political trajectory. The North is urged to apologize for the pogroms against the Igbo, while the Federal Government should apologize for decades of insecurity, corruption and economic hardship. 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 long‑standing marginalisation. Additionally, Christians and Muslims are asked to apologize to each other for mutual intolerance, and to traditional worshippers for discrimination and exclusion.
Hamzat stresses that the blueprint is not intended to provoke division but to free Nigeria from years of denial and unaddressed trauma. He views an apology as a sign of leadership and maturity, a necessary step toward healing. The proposal concludes with a call for national forgiveness—not to erase the past, but as a prerequisite for building a united and peaceful nation.
PeacePro’s initiative has sparked intense national debate, with many Nigerians welcoming the chance for honest reflection and reconciliation. As Nigeria stands at a historic crossroads, the organization’s bold intervention challenges both the government and every citizen to choose healing over hurt and unity over division. The success of this effort will depend on the willingness of various groups and individuals to engage in truthful, courageous dialogue and to work toward collective forgiveness that can pave the way for national healing and reconciliation.
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