Fulbe Development and Cultural Organisation (FUDECO) won a highly coveted recognition from the United Nations Positive Livelihoods Awards Centre (UN-POLAC) during the 2024 United Nations Human Rights Day, in Oriental Hotel, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The citation for the Award states thus: “In appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of peace, better understanding, friendly relations among peoples of the world and the promotion of cultural heritage and nomadic education.”
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his message delivered virtually to the event urged the Awardees and members of the UN-POLAC to be ambassadors of peace for national development. Dr. Guterres called on the recipients to see their Awards as a call to additional service to humanity.
Mr. S.S. Nana, the Founder and Chairman of FUDECO, represented by Alh. Idris Namalle, deeply appreciated UN-POLAC for the unexpected recognition. He said the Award will encourage FUDECO to do more on peacebuilding across all communities. “There can be no sustainable development without peace, S.S. Nana stressed. He urged Nigerians to cherish and promote peaceful co-existence and shun all forms of hate speech, which usually lead to violence. The FUDECO leader believes that Nigerians are lucky to have the calibre of human resources such as the leaders and members of UN-POLAC, who, by all indications are a great asset for Nigeria and the world.
The Director-General of UN-POLAC, Prof. Obong Halo B. Eton, Myr. P, FCWI. FIWS, represented by Pastor Dr. Z. A. Ogunsanya, said the Centre is committed to human rights and sustainable development, emphasizing that Human Rights Day is not only a time for reflection but a call to action.
Prof. Eton said: “This day reminds us of our shared duty to uphold the dignity, equality, and freedoms of all people.” He added: “This event also celebrates UN-POLAC’s recent achievements, including the launch of a comprehensive training programme for Certified Peace Advocates, which aims to equip individuals with essential tools to mediate conflicts and foster understanding within their communities. According to him, training empowers participants to become proactive agents of peace in their regions.”
Prof. Eton also emphasized that the UN-POLAC had been at the forefront of promoting peace, advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and UNESCO’s Culture of Peace Programme, as well as expanded advocacy efforts.
The Director of Women and Children at UN-POLAC, Dr. Cynthia Amaka Obiorah, Amb. P. who was represented by Mrs. Tosin Shonibare, recognised the pivotal role of women in the advancement of peace and human rights, stressing the importance of the day as a reminder of the fundamental rights and freedoms, which every individual deserves.
She said the centre is marking the special day with the appointment of new Peace Advocates and honouring exceptional women with the Distinguished Woman of Peace and Honours Awards (DWOPHA). It is also reflecting on historical figures as role models who had made and continue to offer remarkable contributions to advancing peace, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls.
In his remarks, a guest speaker, Professor Joseph Legend, MFON, FIMC, CMC, FIOGR, of the University of Costa Rica, USA, said the peaceful co-existence AMONG Nigeria’s multi-ethnic society is essential for the country’s stability and progress.
He noted that peaceful co-existence fosters social harmony, economic growth, and political stability despite the challenges posed by ethnic tensions and historical grievances. He said: “Thank you to UN-POLAC for enhancing the transmission and promotion of peaceful co-existence among ethnic groups in Nigeria,”
In a Keynote address at the ceremony, the Deputy Country President of UN-POLAC, Engr. Peter Ohagwa, Amb. P., appealed to everyone to stay on course, mobilise, and use their voices and votes, to build strong social movements that would ensure a peaceful society for posterity.
He noted that the progress made since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world has been threatened by a broad range of conflicts, multifaceted crisis, and increasing inequalities among humanity.
Engineer Ohagwa added that, researchers and practitioners also found out that peacebuilding is most effective and durable when it relies upon local conceptions of peace and underlying dynamics that foster conflict resolution.
Dr. Muhammed Adamu Dodo, Amb. P., UN-POLAC’s 1st Deputy Country President, commenting on the Award, said: “I am delighted that FUDECO’s groundbreaking efforts in promoting peace, unity, education and Fulbe cultural heritage have been recognised by UN-POLAC, thanks to the exceptional leadership of S.S. Nana, FUDECO Chairman and founder. This award is one of about half a dozen unsolicited awards conferred on FUDECO and its leaders in the past few years in recognition of the organisation’s modest humanitarian development efforts. FUDECO’s innovative initiatives in tackling the issues facing pastoralist communities to foster sustainable peace, security and development is legendary”.
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Notes for editors:
FUDECO is a humanitarian development pastoralists NGO and a Participatory Action Research Network operating in 13 states in Nigeria.
UN-POLAC was established as an International autonomous institution in 2001 with the UN and UNESCO following the General Assembly Resolution, declaring 2001–2010 as a Decade of Peace and Non-violence. UN-POLAC’s mandate is to enhance the effectiveness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme particularly the maintenance of peace and security and the restoration of human dignity.
Human Rights Day (HRD) is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year.The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. It was established by General Assembly Resolution 423(V).
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals aim to address a broad range of interconnected global challenges, including poverty eradication, environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic growth, under the guiding principle of “leaving no one behind.”
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