At the Plateau Peace Architecture Forum (February 2026 Edition), themed “A Decade of Building Peace Together: Learning, Institutional Memory, and Sustaining Peace for the Future,” stakeholders gathered on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Odilins Event Center, Jos, to mark 10 years of institutionalized peacebuilding and launch the Knowledge Management Framework and Communication Strategy of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency.
Delivering the keynote address, Chris Kwaja, Special Envoy to Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Peace and Security, traced the agency’s origins to a 2016 vision aimed at building durable institutions and shifting from reactive crisis response to proactive peacebuilding. He noted that conflict has left many dead, displaced, and traumatized, stressing that “we are all casualties” in one way or another.
Kwaja emphasized that institutions must outlive individuals, urging greater investment in structures that preserve memory, lessons, and continuity. He raised critical questions about the agency’s independence and predictable funding, arguing that sustainable peace requires consistent financial commitment and insulation from partisan politics.
He further called for deeper grassroots engagement, stating that every conflict is local and solutions must be community-driven. According to him, the agency must bridge governance, security, and justice pillars, ensuring professionalism within security agencies and fairness in the justice system.
“Everyone cries for peace, but few cry for justice,” he said, underscoring the need for accountability and rule of law. Kwaja concluded that the future of peace in Plateau lies in strong institutions, inclusive leadership, research-driven policy, and collective responsibility.
