TODAY is International Day of Peace. September 21 of every year has been set aside by the United Nations to remind people the importance of building a culture of peace.
This year’s Peace Day celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
As the world celebrates this day, Nigeria is still wallowing in a series of crises that has reduced the level of peace in the country.
According to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2018, Nigeria ranks 148 out of 163 countries in the World Peace ranking.
The GPI which is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness measured the state of peace using three thematic domains: the level of societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and the degree of militarisation.
Without Cape Verde, Nigeria is the least peaceful country in West Africa. While in 44 Sub-Saharan Africa countries stated in the report, Nigeria ranks 40. This makes Nigeria one of the five least peaceful countries in the continent.
The GPI shows that the state of peace in Nigeria is very low. On the snapshot of the global state of peace, Nigeria is represented by a red colour which indicates that its state of peace is very low.
The Boko Haram Insurgency which began in 2009 has caused massive displacement of people in the North East part of the country.
Aside the Boko Haram insurgency, clashes between farmers and herders have killed many people and displaced a record number of people in the Middle Belt part of the country.
According to Global Terrorism Index, the Fulani herdsmen undertook more attacks and were responsible for more deaths than Boko Haram in 2016. These two deadly groups are the biggest security threats Nigeria has been battling over the years.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, encouraged nations on Friday to live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race.
He said that peace takes root when people are free from hunger, poverty, oppression and can thrive and prosper.