Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has called on nations worldwide to prioritize the creation and enforcement of robust frameworks for post-war recovery, warning that the absence of such systems perpetuates cycles of violence and instability.
Speaking at the 150th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), currently taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kalu presented a policy proposal titled “The Imperative for Strengthened Post-War Management.” In it, he emphasized that effective post-conflict strategies are not only a moral duty but a strategic necessity for global peace.
Kalu, who was recently named co-rapporteur to the IPU’s Standing Committee on Peace and International Security, is collaborating with A. Al-Zu’bi of Jordan and Ms. F. Belhirch of the Netherlands to guide deliberations on “The Role of Parliaments in Establishing Robust Post-Conflict Management Mechanisms and Restoring a Just and Lasting Peace.”
Drawing on ongoing crises in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kalu underscored the dire consequences of weak governance and insufficient post-war planning.
“In Sudan, the lack of resilient peacekeeping and reconstruction frameworks has left the country vulnerable to renewed conflict. Economic marginalization and institutional weaknesses continue to obstruct sustainable peace,” Kalu said. He added that in the DRC, endemic corruption and the poor integration of conflict resolution mechanisms have stifled efforts to achieve lasting stability.
“The international community’s failure to enforce comprehensive peace agreements has fostered environments where violence recurs as the norm,” he stated.
Kalu, who also leads Nigeria’s Peace In South East Project (PISE-P), an initiative using non-kinetic approaches to restore peace in the country’s South East, said that military victory is only the beginning of any meaningful peace process.
He called for a multidimensional recovery strategy that includes institutional reform, economic rebuilding, social reconciliation, and inclusive integration as key pillars of post-war healing.
According to him, “the path to peace must be intentionally constructed—brick by brick—through inclusive, sustained efforts that go beyond ceasefires and signed accountability.