PhD students of Peace and Conflict Studies from Nasarawa State University have engaged key security and peacebuilding institutions in Plateau State as part of efforts to deepen research on post-conflict recovery and insecurity in Nigeria.
The study tour, led by the Director of the Institute of Governance and Development Studies, Prof. Terhemba Shija, took the delegation to the Plateau State Police Command, where they interacted with the Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah; the Nigerian Army 3 Division, where they were received by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Folusho Oyinlola; and the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, led by its Director-General, Dr Julie Sanda.
Prof. Shija said the objective of the tour was to expose the doctoral students to real-life peacebuilding efforts and conflict management strategies, enabling them to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
“We are here on a study tour to examine issues of peace and how conflicts are being managed and resolved. Plateau State provides a critical context for understanding these dynamics,” he said.
He added that the students engaged directly with security and peacebuilding actors to understand both the causes of conflict and the mechanisms being deployed to restore stability.
“These are PhD students expected to contribute to knowledge. By interacting with institutions at the forefront of peacebuilding, they are better positioned to identify gaps and make meaningful contributions to the discourse on peace and conflict studies,” he stated.
The professor described insecurity as a national challenge that continues to evolve across different regions, noting that lessons from Plateau could serve as a model for addressing similar crises elsewhere.
“Insecurity in Nigeria appears complex and, at times, intractable. Just when progress seems to be made, new crises emerge. This underscores the need for collective effort, including stronger engagement between researchers and policymakers,” he added.
He further emphasised that greater utilisation of academic research in policy formulation and implementation could significantly improve outcomes in tackling insecurity.
At the various institutions visited, security officials highlighted ongoing efforts to maintain peace and stability, stressing the importance of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and community participation in addressing security challenges.
The Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, underscored the role of proactive policing and community partnership in crime prevention, while the GOC, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, emphasised sustained military operations and civil-military cooperation as key to restoring normalcy in troubled areas.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, Dr Julie Sanda, reiterated the importance of dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusive peace processes in resolving long-standing conflicts.
The delegation, comprising over 70 PhD students, also visited the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, the Plateau State Government House, and Bassa Local Government Area as part of broader engagements aimed at generating research-based recommendations for sustainable peace.
The study tour is expected to continue with further field interactions across the state.
