TheCable

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, will speak at a conference where the challenges confronting Nigeria will be discussed.

According to Sidney Imobhio, president, Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Development Forum (SNMBDF) and Adewale Adeoye, south-west regional co-coordinator of the group organising the conference, people from the south and middle belt will attend the programme scheduled for Lagos on Thursday.

The organisers said the conference is meant to work out a national peacebuilding framework and develop the best strategy to address the challenges of environment and food security common in the south and middle belt hemispheres.

“There are a lot of challenges facing Nigerians from these identified zones. In building a national economic, cultural and social consensus, the starting point is for the people to begin to talk to themselves, share their challenges and work out a common solution for a more cohesive and peaceful country,” the statement stated.

The organisers said the conference is driven by youth leaders and organisations from about 24 states of the south and middle belt backed with several community-based organisations, peasant and artisan groups.

“We look forward with a mix of excitement and delight at the new window of opportunities the conference will open for the peoples to actualize their long thirst for collaboration in various spheres. This is the beginning in the series of consultations necessary for peace and justice in Nigeria,” the organisers said.

“This is the first conference of younger peoples of the middle belt and their southern counterparts. We share the same history, the same background and common destiny. This conference is to build an everlasting bridge between the indigenous peoples in these ancient territories towards peace, liberty and justice in Nigeria.”