A prominent peace and conflict scholar, Mr. Wasiu Adebiyi, has called on the Osun State Government to overhaul its approach to resolving communal crises by actively incorporating young people into formal peace-building frameworks.
Speaking at a three-day mediation and civic advocacy training for Youth Ambassadors for Peace, Adebiyi argued that the recurring violence between the Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun communities can only be permanently halted if the demographic most often used to perpetrate the violence is transformed into agents of reconciliation.
Adebiyi observed that for nearly a decade, government-led mediation efforts have focused almost exclusively on community elders, often neglecting the youth who are instrumental to the physical conflicts.
He noted that when young people are excluded from the negotiation table and left uninformed about the long-term consequences of communal strife, they remain vulnerable to being used as instruments of destruction.
He urged the state to integrate these Youth Ambassadors into its peace agenda to foster a culture of non-violent communication and mutual understanding at the grassroots level.
The training program, organized by the Vision Builders Initiative in partnership with the Peace Education Advocacy and Climate Action for Development, sought to address the root causes of clashes that have plagued the Orolu and Irepodun local government areas for over thirty years.
The Convener, Akinremi Olawale, revealed that between 2022 and 2025 alone, at least six major incidents of violence were recorded.
He stressed that many participants in these conflicts are driven by deep-seated misconceptions rather than just simple land disputes.
The initiative is part of a broader six-month project that will include town hall meetings and a joint stakeholder summit involving all three communities.
Olawale stated that the ultimate goal is to produce a set of practical, youth-inclusive recommendations for the government to implement.
By encouraging interaction among 30 selected youths from the rival communities, the organizers hope to break down decades of animosity and replace it with a shared vision for regional development.