President Tinubu
Three years into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the link between peace-building, conflict resolution and national development has become a central theme of his governance narrative. From the start, the government framed security and stability as prerequisites for economic reform, arguing that no meaningful investment or growth could take hold in communities trapped in cycles of violence and displacement. That framing has shaped both the rhetoric and the policy interventions rolled out since May 2023.
One of the most visible initiatives has been the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict, launched to address the humanitarian crisis created by years of farmer-herder clashes, banditry and insurgency. The pilot in Tudun Biri, Kaduna, set out to go beyond temporary relief by constructing residences, roads, schools and clinics for displaced families. Tinubu described it as a shift from ad hoc responses to long-term rehabilitation and reintegration, with the goal of giving affected communities a dignified environment to live and rebuild.
The administration has also leaned on non-kinetic approaches, using dialogue, reconciliation and stakeholder engagement to tackle disputes that have festered for decades. The Ogoni crisis provides an example. After years of stalled negotiations, fresh consultations coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser brought together community leaders, NNPCL, traditional institutions and security agencies. The process rebuilt channels of trust and produced a framework for reconciliation that allowed discussions around resuming economic activity in the area to resume.
In the South East, the Peace in the South East Project received presidential backing as part of a broader effort to address grievances around marginalization and insecurity. Tinubu publicly acknowledged the economic damage caused by non-state actors in the region and backed a programme that combined reconciliation, reconstruction and reintegration. The involvement of governors across party lines and traditional rulers gave the initiative cross-cultural weight, and it was framed as a model for releasing new energy for development once communities feel secure.
On the regional front, Tinubu’s chairmanship of ECOWAS placed him at the center of mediation efforts in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger following a wave of coups. His approach combined diplomatic engagement with economic sanctions and the threat of military intervention, generating both support and pushback. Analysts note that while his firm stance kept pressure on juntas to return to constitutional order, it also exposed the limits of ECOWAS mechanisms and the need for more inclusive conflict resolution strategies.
Domestically, the administration has tied peace-building to economic inclusion. Youth empowerment, education and job creation have been presented as tools to address the root causes of instability and prevent recruitment into violent groups. The emphasis on state police and community-based security committees, particularly in Plateau and Kaduna, reflects an attempt to localize security governance while using federal backing to harmonize responses across states.
Critics argue that many of these initiatives are still early-stage and face challenges of funding, coordination and trust deficits at the community level. Supporters counter that the shift toward integrated resettlement, dialogue and stakeholder inclusion marks a departure from purely military responses that characterized earlier years. For them, the emphasis on justice, distribution of democratic dividends and collaboration signals an understanding that development cannot be separated from peace.
As Tinubu marks three years in office, the record on peace-building and conflict resolution remains mixed but more deliberate than in previous cycles. The test will be whether these interventions can scale beyond pilot phases and whether the trust rebuilt in places like Ogoni, Kaduna and the South East holds long enough to unlock economic activity. If that happens, the administration’s argument that peace is the foundation for national development will have more than rhetoric to stand on.
