The Social Justice and Human Development for Peace Initiative (JDPC), the social arm of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos, has convened a three-day high-level consultative engagement with traditional rulers on mediation and conflict transformation. The workshop, which runs from August 27–29 at Novel Suites, Jos, is supported by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) project, with backing from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Declaring the workshop open, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, represented by the Mishkam Mwaghavul, Da John Putmang Hirse, stressed the crucial role of traditional rulers in peacebuilding. He noted that as custodians of culture and history, traditional leaders wield significant influence and must be equipped to understand and respond to the dynamics of conflict in their communities. “We must leave here with a clear understanding of whether violence is an attack or a conflict, and also gain insight into what leaders can do in times of crisis,” he said, calling for fruitful deliberations.
In his welcome address, Rev. Prof. Cletus T. Gotan, Vicar General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos, described the engagement as a timely intervention to strengthen peace efforts across the state. He highlighted JDPC’s decades-long work in relief support, peacebuilding, governance engagement, and community development. According to him, the initiative “will provide an avenue for sincere contributions towards a stable and peaceful Plateau and Nigeria, where citizens will benefit from reduced violence and increased resilience.”
Also speaking, Dr. Julie Sanda, Director General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, reiterated the importance of collaborative frameworks in addressing peace and security challenges. She emphasized that traditional rulers remain critical partners in peacebuilding, describing them as stakeholders whose influence at the grassroots must be harnessed for sustainable mediation and conflict transformation.
Participants welcomed the initiative as timely and necessary. The paramount ruler of the Izere nation, Ada Rev. Dr. Isaac Azi Wakili (JP), said the training could not have come at a better time. “There is nothing we need more than peace on the Plateau. With this type of workshop, we are encouraged to go back and relate the lessons to our people, to join hands with government and institutions concerned with peace,” he stated.
Representatives of the British High Commission, Graham Gass, and the SPRiNG Project, Mujidang Sitdang, expressed optimism that the workshop would achieve its objectives of strengthening mediation capacity among traditional leaders and advancing conflict transformation strategies in Plateau State.
The consultative engagement brings together first-class and second-class traditional rulers from across the state to explore traditional approaches to dispute resolution while bridging modern peacebuilding practices. Organizers and partners expressed hope that the outcome will enhance resilience, reduce violence, and strengthen pathways for sustainable peace across Plateau and beyond.
