By Igweshi Augustine
In Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of UNSCR 2250
When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security in 2015, it created a powerful global mandate to recognize the role of young people not as victims of insecurity but as key partners in building peace. For Nigeria, a country shaped by decades of diverse conflicts—from insurgency and communal violence to electoral tensions—this resolution became an opportunity to place young people at the center of peace efforts.
On 1 November 2021, Nigeria launched its first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (NAPYPS), covering a five-year implementation cycle. Today, as we mark the tenth anniversary of UNSCR 2250, Nigeria has completed the initial five-year span of implementation activities and has begun consultations to develop a second-generation NAPYPS.
This moment offers an important opportunity to reflect on what has worked, what has not, and what Nigeria must do differently in the next decade.
- Progress and Achievements: A Foundation Has Been Built
Despite the challenges, Nigeria has recorded meaningful progress in institutionalizing the Youth, Peace and Security agenda:
a. Establishment of National and State-Level YPS Structures
The Ministry of Youth Development, development partners, and civic society organizations, including youth networks, played crucial roles in setting up coordination mechanisms. These structures helped improve communication and policy alignment across government, security institutions, NGOs, and youth groups.
b. Increased Visibility and Recognition of Youth as Peace Actors
NAPYPS has helped shift national conversation from seeing youth primarily as perpetrators of violence to recognizing them as stakeholders in nation-building. Government agencies and media platforms now highlight youth-led peace efforts more frequently.
c. Youth Participation in Prevention and Early Warning
Young people across several states have taken leadership roles in community dialogue, early warning reporting, reintegration of displaced persons, climate-related conflict mediation, and electoral peace campaigns.
d. Capacity Building and Peace Education
Civil society organizations, including my own organization, CEPASD, have trained hundreds of youth on peacebuilding, mediation, conflict analysis, digital peace advocacy, and community dialogue. These trainings have empowered young people to respond to early signs of conflict and to organize peace actions independently.
e. Multi-Stakeholder Mobilization
NAPYPS succeeded in strengthening collaboration between government, development partners, youth networks, and civil society. This collaborative spirit was one of the strongest outcomes of the first implementation cycle.
These achievements show that Nigeria has taken the first steps toward mainstreaming YPS into peace and security governance. However, progress has not been evenly distributed, and significant gaps remain.
- Lessons Learned from the First Implementation Cycle
a. Funding Gaps Remain a Major Barrier
The NAPYPS was ambitious, but without dedicated federal and state budget lines, many action items remained unimplemented. CSOs and development partners carried most of the financial burden. For a national framework of this scale, that model is not sustainable.
b. Limited Awareness at State and Local Government Levels
Only a handful of states actively applied the NAPYPS framework in their peace and security programming. In many areas, local authorities and traditional institutions were unaware of the YPS agenda.
c. Youth Inclusion in Decision-Making Still Needs Strengthening
While youth were consulted, they were not always given meaningful influence in decision-making, especially in security sector spaces. Institutional barriers still limit youth presence at negotiation tables, mediation processes, and national security dialogues.
d. Fragmented Implementation
The lack of a centralized monitoring mechanism led to duplication of efforts and made it difficult to track progress nationally. Different actors implemented YPS activities independently without a unified reporting framework.
e. Gender Gaps Persist
The implementation process revealed that many young women still face cultural, economic, and structural barriers to participating in peace and security roles. Without deliberate gender-responsive strategies, the most marginalized voices will continue to be left behind.
- The Way Forward: Building a Stronger Second-Generation NAPYPS
As Nigeria begins developing the next NAPYPS, the next decade of the YPS agenda must focus on depth, sustainability, and accountability. Key priorities include:
- Dedicated Budget for YPS
Federal and state governments must allocate annual funding for YPS initiatives. Without financial commitment, the policy will remain symbolic.
- Establish State-Level and Local Implementation Plans
Each state in Nigeria faces its own unique conflict dynamics. Tailored state-level action plans will make NAPYPS more relevant and effective.
- Strengthen Monitoring, Data Collection, and Accountability
A digital tracking dashboard, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Youth and relevant security institutions, should document progress, challenges, and gaps in real time.
- Institutionalize Youth-Led Peace Structures
Youth advisory councils, peace networks, and community mediation groups should be formally recognized and supported by government and security agencies.
- Ensure Gender-Responsive Implementation
Future NAPYPS must intentionally support young women peacebuilders through targeted funding, training, leadership pipelines, and protection mechanisms.
- Integrate YPS into Security Sector Reform
Police, military, DSS, and peacekeeping training institutions should include YPS modules and youth engagement strategies in their curriculum.
- Leverage Digital Tools for Peacebuilding
Nigeria must invest in youth-led digital peace initiatives that counter hate speech, monitor early warning signals, and promote peaceful elections.
- Strengthen Partnerships
Development partners, civil society, and youth-led organizations must continue to play key roles—but this time with structured coordination and shared accountability.
- Conclusion: A Decade of YPS—Honoring the Past, Securing the Future
As we mark ten years of UNSCR 2250, Nigeria stands at an important crossroads.
The first NAPYPS gave us valuable lessons and a foundation to build on. But the next phase must go beyond commitment—it must deliver tangible transformation for millions of young people.
Young Nigerians have shown that they possess the creativity, courage, and resilience to lead peace efforts. What they need now is an environment that trusts their leadership, invests in their ideas, and provides pathways to influence national and local security decisions.
The next decade of YPS in Nigeria must be one of inclusion, accountability, and sustained investment. If we get it right, Nigeria can become a continental leader in the youth, peace, and security agenda and a global model for meaningful youth participation.
For those of us who work in peacebuilding, including through organizations like CEPASD, this moment is not only a reflection point but a renewed call to action.
The work ahead is clear, and the responsibility belongs to all of us.
