Foundation inaugurates influencers to strengthen peace in Warri

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By Mercy Neme
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has inaugurated 30 Peace Influencers to strengthen peacebuilding and prevent renewed tensions in Warri Federal Constituency.
The influencers were inaugurated on Monday during PIND’s Peace Consolidation and Resilience Session under the Warri Peace Community Support Initiative (WPCSI) in Asaba.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the session brought together representatives of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, including women, youths and community leaders.
Speaking at the ceremony, PIND’s Executive Director, Mr Sam Daibo, said the influencers would help identify early warning signs and prevent tensions from escalating into violence.
Represented by Mr Chuks Ofulue, PIND’s Analysis and Advocacy Manager, Daibo said their responsibilities included sharing credible information, encouraging restraint, promoting dialogue and supporting timely responses to emerging conflicts.
He urged the influencers to verify information before sharing it and counter rumours and inflammatory communication through responsible messaging.
Daibo said the initiative evolved from the Warri Peace Stakeholders Platform, established in 2018 to address longstanding inter-ethnic tensions among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo.
He said the WPCSI had focused on building relationships, promoting dialogue and supporting local actors to prevent disagreements from degenerating into violence.
According to him, the initiative’s Joint Implementation Committee has supported stakeholder engagement, advocacy and peace messaging across the area.
He said sustained public peace messages and engagement with government were among the efforts undertaken in 2026 to support de-escalation and strengthen peace.
Daibo said the peace consolidation session followed the presidential peace intervention and commitments arising from it.
He explained that the session was not intended to reopen contested political issues, debate ward allocation or assign blame, but to strengthen trust and practical mechanisms for peaceful co-existence.
He said participants would examine shared concerns, improve their understanding of conflict early warning and response, and develop mediation and conflict-sensitive communication skills.
Daibo said the influencers would be linked to PIND’s Early Warning and Early Response system to facilitate timely action when threats to peace emerged.
He said continued coordination, mentoring and peer learning would support the influencers in carrying out their responsibilities within their communities.
Daibo urged participants to listen to one another, avoid provocative language, reject collective blame and focus on shared interests and practical solutions.
He called on the Delta state government to deepen its partnership with the peace process and connect community-level initiatives with relevant state structures.
He said lasting stability required cooperation between trusted community actors and responsive institutions.
Daibo emphasised that the initiative’s sustainability would depend on community ownership, responsible information sharing and concrete actions by participants after the session.
He said the people of Warri, including the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo and other residents, deserved to live, work and raise their families without fear.
He added that peace could not be sustained through agreements and meetings alone, but required individuals and communities to choose restraint, verified information, dialogue and shared responsibility.
Meanwhile, some peace influencers who spoke with NAN commended the initiative.
Chief Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, the Alaowei of Warri, supported the initiative to unite the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo, address longstanding grievances and promote peace and development.
Chief Brown Mene, the Ogwa-Olusan of Warri, urged the three ethnic nationalities to embrace peaceful co-existence, saying unity was essential for sustainable peace and development.
Chief Victor Okumagba, the Idjede of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, urged the ethnic groups to embrace peace to attract government presence and accelerate development.
Okumagba described PIND’s intervention as timely, noting that the Warri Federal Constituency delineation issue had persisted for almost three years. (NAN)