By Abubakar Imam
A Professor at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS), University of Ilorin, Prof. Abosede Omowunmi Babatunde, has emphasised the need to build internal unity in African countries to facilitate rapid development across the continent.
Prof. Babatunde made this call recently while speaking on the sideline of this year’s edition of Tana High Level Forum, tagged “Africa in an Evolving Global Order”, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The renowned peace scholar said that building internal unity in African countries will be a pathway to building unity among nation-states and across the continent.
She added that this will also lead to the building and strengthening of solidarity across nation-states.
To achieve this, Prof. Babatunde suggested that more attention should be paid to issues affecting African democratisation and the place and roles of the youths in nation-building.
She also emphasised the significance of gender sensitivity as well as technological and infrastructural gaps in Africa in promoting peace and understanding across the continent.
Prof. Babatunde equally suggested the revival of critical African values, which promote justice, equity, fairness and human rights, empathy, and reciprocity.
A major highlight of the event was the granting of a book launch award to a publication titled “Managing Violent Religious Extremism in Fragile States: Building Capacity in Nigeria and Kenya”, which was jointly written by Prof. Babatunde and two of his colleagues from the University of Ilorin, Prof. Mahfouz Adebola Adedimeji and Dr Shittu Raji as well as two Kenya scholars, Dr Jacinta Mwende Maweu and Dr John Miwangi Githigaro. The award-winning book is the product of a research grant of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa won by the Centre when Prof. Adedimeji was its Director.
The event was attended by many dignitaries including the Ghanian President, Mr John Mahama; a former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda; a former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano and Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, a former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, among several others.
