Founder of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) and pioneer of Peace and Conflict Studies in Nigeria, Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert, has traced the roots of the now-global organisation to its modest beginnings in the University of Ibadan (UI), revealing the strategic vision that has positioned SPSP as one of Africa’s most influential peace bodies.
Speaking exclusively with CEOAFRICA, Prof. Albert described the society’s journey as “a deliberate blend of scholarship and practice,” created to prevent a dangerous disconnect between theoretical knowledge and real-world peacebuilding.
“SPSP originated from the effort at establishing Peace and Conflict Studies in the University of Ibadan,” he said.
“The ideas date back to the year 2000 when the programme started with the support of the British government. Our core agenda was—and remains—to link peace scholarship with practice. Teaching students theory without connecting them to practitioners would have been risky.”
Prof. Albert recounted how the society moved from being UI-based to a national institution.
“A few years after establishing the society, I went to the Vice-Chancellor to say: we must give this society to the rest of Nigeria. The then VC, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, accompanied me to Abuja where the pronouncement was made,” he explained. “Since then, the society has been growing steadily.”
Reflecting on SPSP’s structure, the founder highlighted that the Annual International Conference and General Assembly was designed to force a productive exchange between scholars and practitioners.
“We place advertisements around a chosen subject, receive abstracts, and invite presenters. Scholars critique practitioners; practitioners critique scholars. It is a mutual learning process,” he said.
This year marked the 19th edition of the conference, hosted again by the University of Ibadan. Previous editions have been held across major institutions, including the Nigerian Defence Academy in 2014.
Prof. Albert confirmed that SPSP is now a member of the United Nations ECOSOC, a milestone that allows the society to attend the UN General Assembly, make official pronouncements, and collaborate with international experts on peace and security.
“This is an important opportunity,” he noted. “Our leaders now attend the UN General Assembly. We can provide non-governmental perspectives on issues affecting Nigeria, West Africa, and the continent.”
The professor explained that SPSP has supported universities across Nigeria in establishing peace studies programmes.
“We have helped set up programmes at the University of Ilorin, Al-Hikmah University, Fountain University, Ignatius Ajuru University, among others,” he said. “In the coming years, we intend to spread the gospel of peace studies more broadly across Nigeria and Africa.”
He also revealed that SPSP runs annual capacity-building workshops with universities offering peace studies.
One of the society’s newest initiatives is the SPSP Body of Fellows, a high-level advocacy platform. “This senior group will periodically analyse Nigeria’s peace and security challenges and engage government at all levels,” Prof. Albert said. “Government alone cannot do it; we must support them.”
Prof. Albert listed several prominent Nigerians who are SPSP members or fellows, stressing that the society’s strength lies in its multi-sectoral composition.
These include: The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Community Engagement, Dr. Abiodun Essiet; the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nanna Nandap and Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.)
“What brings all of us together is the peace of Nigeria,” he emphasized. “Without a peaceful Nigeria, citizenship becomes difficult to enjoy.”
Prof. Albert lamented the absence of a functional national peace policy—an initiative SPSP once attempted but could not complete due to administrative constraints.
“We want the document brought out, updated, and passed,” he said. “Since 2000, so much has changed. Ghana developed its national peace policy after ours and today has one of the best on the continent. Nigeria cannot continue with trial-and-error approaches.”
He stressed that while Nigeria has the technical expertise for sustainable peace, political commitment remains weak.
“We have the professionals to design the right peace policy. The question is: do we have the political will to make Nigeria peaceful?” “Even our leaders are unable to answer this question.”
From its beginnings in UI’s Peace and Conflict Studies programme to its standing at the UN, SPSP, under the visionary foundation laid by Prof. Albert, has evolved into a formidable force in Nigeria’s peace architecture—and is now expanding its reach across Africa.
