In a nation where the narrative has long been shaped by terrorism, economic hardship, and violence, Nigeria’s young people are flipping the script.
Abuja, Nigeria: “There will be no peace when the child is in pieces.”
Yakura*, a young girl from Nigeria, is tired of being forgotten.
A member of Nigeria’s Youth Peace Champions (YPCs), she and 31 other dynamic young leaders are spearheading a new movement for child protection and community resilience through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Nigeria is facing several peace and security challenges linked to poverty, non-state armed groups, climate change, and more. The poverty rate reached 38.9 per cent in 2023, while recent UNODC reports outline how terrorism and organized crime, from cultism, drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and more are becoming a major driver of insecurity.
Coping with these issues would be hard enough for an adult. But children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term harms of conflict or violence – forced to endure the unendurable, compelled to grow up too fast.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Yakura and her fellow YPCs want to change the narrative for themselves and their peers by building resilience and tapping into the immense potential and creativity of a country where more than 110 million people are under the age of 18.
“Childhood is the hope of humanity, not a battlefield of conflict and deprivation,” Yakura says. “Children must reclaim their rights and tell their true stories, not be defined by the constraints imposed upon them.”
This is why on 12 August, International Youth Day, UNODC brought together 32 Youth Peace Champions from the conflict-ridden regions of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe. These areas have seen the worst of terrorism and insecurity, but they are also the birthplace of a new wave of youth-led peacebuilding.
A journey toward peace is more than a fight against immediate threats. It’s about restoring the entirety of a child's ecosystem by equipping young people with essential knowledge on how their brains communicate with their bodies and arming them with strategic advocacy, communication and storytelling skills.
These tools are not just instruments of survival; they are keys to rebuilding the mental health, agency, and community resilience eroded by years of violence and inequality.
The training in Abuja was an immersive experience designed to integrate community mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) with neuroeducation and communication skills.
The aim? To empower local youth not just to cope but to lead their communities toward a more peaceful future.
The program emphasizes that when caregivers, youth, and children are equipped with strategic communication skills and mental health knowledge, they can rebuild the resilience and peace of their communities from the ground up.
“This training has been a turning point in my life,” shared Bintu*, another YPC participant. “For the first time, I understand how my mental state affects every aspect of my communication and interactions. I feel more connected, more in control, and more ready to advocate for change in my community.”
This initiative is not just about protecting children — it's about seeing them as leaders of the future. In line with the UNODC’s Strategy to END Violence against Children 2023-2030, to truly protect and nurture their development, children, youth, and caregivers must be uplifted as the vanguards of peace and reconciliation. This vision also includes engaging policymakers at the local and regional levels, challenging them to view children not as problems to be solved, but as part of the solution.
Reflecting on the training, Bagana*, another YPC remarked: “The sessions on communication and neuroplasticity were transformative. They’ve made me more mindful, empathetic, and effective in conflict resolution. These insights will inform my leadership approach, fostering a more collaborative and inclusive community.”
In the coming weeks, the YPCs will continue their journey with further training on restorative justice and digital peacebuilding, eventually launching campaigns designed to support reconciliation and peacebuilding in violence-affected communities.
Yakura adds that she will be a voice for children suffering today, a role she feels able to fill thanks to the process started through the training cycle promoted by UNODC END Violence Against Children Team. “I am rebuilding my inner child thanks to the skills I am learning.”
* names changed
The trainings initiated in Abuja were co-led by the UNODC team of experts including Mohsin Mohi Ud Din, global storytelling and strategic communications expert, Abba Ali Yarima Mustapha, UNODC National Project Officer, and Alexandra Martins, global team leader, END Violence Against Children. Their combined expertise provided a rich, multi-dimensional learning experience for the YPCs, laying the groundwork for the participants to co-create and lead local peacebuilding initiatives.
To learn more about UNODC’s work to end violence against children, click here
