Peace Ambassador urges grassroots path to nation-building

Asmau Abdullahi Ribadu has called for a shift towards a more inclusive and community-led approach to nation-building, following her inauguration as a Peace Ambassador.

She described the recognition as both an honour and a responsibility, shaped by her early life in northern Nigeria and her work with vulnerable groups. Speaking on her journey, she said her understanding of peace is grounded in lived experience.

“Growing up in Yola and Maiduguri showed me how instability affects daily life,” she said. “It goes beyond conflict. It disrupts education, healthcare, and livelihoods, and it places a heavy burden on women and girls.”

According to her, these experiences have guided her work through the Hope for Her Foundation, where she has focused on outreach in underserved communities. She noted that the organisation has reached over 1,000 girls and women in Abuja, Adamawa, and Maiduguri, providing reusable sanitary pads and health education.

“We have seen that improving access, protecting dignity, and creating opportunity are key to building stronger communities,” she said. “Peacebuilding is not separate from this work. It is part of it.”

Ribadu said her role as Peace Ambassador will centre on advancing peace through dignity, inclusion, and access. She stressed that peace should not be limited to the absence of conflict but should include conditions that allow people to live safely and take part in society.

“Peace means people can go to school, access healthcare, and have a voice in their communities,” she said. “It must be something people experience in their daily lives.”

She outlined plans to expand engagement in schools and underserved areas, with a focus on young people and women. This will include advocacy and direct support through existing and new programmes.

She also raised concern about groups that are often excluded from development efforts, including women living with disabilities and those in custodial settings.

“Inclusion must be real,” she said. “If people are left out, then peace cannot be complete.”

On the role of women, Ribadu said their participation is central to achieving lasting stability. While women play key roles in families and communities, she noted that they remain underrepresented in decision-making.

“We cannot build peace without women,” she said. “They are part of community dialogue and they understand the challenges on the ground.”

Her planned initiatives include expanding menstrual health programmes, which she linked to dignity and access to education. She also intends to strengthen school-based engagements that promote inclusion and social responsibility, alongside wider community outreach.

Advocacy, she added, will focus on equity and access for marginalised groups.

Addressing young people, she urged them to recognise their role in shaping society.

“Peace starts with how we treat one another,” she said. “Young people must understand that their voices matter.”

She also said her new role offers a platform to present a broader view of Nigeria to the world, one that reflects the work being done at community level.

“There is more to our story,” she said. “There are efforts across communities that show resilience and progress.”

Ribadu concluded by stating that lasting peace depends on sustained investment in people, particularly women and girls.

“We must keep working at every level,” she said. “That is how we build a nation that works for all.”