Anisah Ari, Associate Professor at the University of Florida, says women’s courage and grassroots leadership are crucial tools for sustaining peace in Nigeria’s conflict-affected communities.

Ms Ari made this known in a paper titled “Reclaiming Peace Through Truth Appeal: The Imperative of Tough Conversations in Nigeria’s Fragile Landscape”, shared with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

She cited widespread banditry, abductions, armed robbery, and killings as factors destabilising communities and exposing Nigeria’s fractured national identity and fragile security architecture.

“The country is overdue for a shift from reactive security to proactive dialogue.

“Peace cannot be imposed; it must be nurtured through truth and sustained civic engagement,” she stated.

Referencing her doctoral research, “Emerging Leadership Practices in Extremity,” Ms Ari noted how women in Plateau State assumed peacebuilding roles when traditional institutions failed to act effectively.

She said Plateau women redefined peace not as an endpoint, but as an ongoing process requiring everyday commitment, resilience, and active participation from all community stakeholders.

Ms Ari highlighted the women’s relational and inclusive leadership approach, which played a critical role in rebuilding trust and restoring communal harmony in violence-affected regions.

“These women’s experiences offer a practical, replicable model for national peacebuilding, especially vital as Nigeria grapples with rising insecurity and deepening social divisions,” she said.

She urged policymakers, peacebuilding experts, and civil society groups to learn from those women-led initiatives and incorporate their methods into national peace and security strategies.

Ms Ari stressed that women’s involvement in peacebuilding was not optional, but essential for achieving long-term stability, cohesion, and justice across Nigeria’s multi-ethnic, multi-religious society.

“To move forward, Nigeria must embrace dialogue as foundational to unity, not a threat. Silence has cost us dearly. We owe future generations a better, just, and inclusive nation.”

(NAN)