Sahel Crisis: IPCR To Expand Focus, Scope To Africa’s Regional Crises—DG Ochogwu.

By Caroline Ameh

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) is set to broaden its focus beyond Nigeria’s internal conflicts to key regional crises across Africa, including the French withdrawal from the Sahel and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crisis.

The Director-General of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, disclosed this at a strategic meeting with the executive members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association (DICAN) in Abuja.

Dr. Ochogwu acknowledged that the Institute has traditionally concentrated on Nigeria’s internal conflicts at the expense of the region with its fair share of insecurity and diplomatic bottlenecks but emphasized that its mandate extends to projecting Nigeria’s soft power across Africa.

He affirmed his commitment to refocusing IPCR’s efforts in line with this broader vision.

The IPCR boss revealed the commitment of the Institute to collaborate with International Organisations to prevent and resolve conflicts, support peace building and reconstruction efforts in post-conflict areas as well as promote sustainable peace and development.

“This year, actually, I am committed, and my management is committed to running a lot of things. We are going to be doing French withdrawal from the Sahel, the issue around the Sahel, the DRC crisis, and how we project Nigeria’s soft power approaches across the continent of Africa, which is our primary mandate.

“The Institute over the years has scaled its operation largely to internal conflicts, which is not supposed to be,” he said.

He stressed the importance of media collaboration in achieving IPCR’s objectives, noting that research without proper dissemination has little impact. “The media is central to the work that we do. If you want to advocate for change in any society, the critical role of the media is paramount,” he added.

Dr. Ochogwu also highlighted the need for greater engagement between Nigeria’s foreign policy experts and the public to counter misinformation and ensure accurate narratives on international issues. He called for improved visibility of Nigeria’s diplomatic and research institutions in global discussions, emphasizing that official statements must be carefully framed to reflect the government’s position without misinterpretation.

The Chairman of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association (DICAN), Comrade Idehai Frederick, informed the Director-General that the association has been collaborating closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all foreign missions in the country to ensure accurate and timely dissemination of information to the public.

He announced that DICAN’s annual lecture for this year would be held soon, featuring foreign policy experts and scholars who will provide insights into the nation’s foreign policy objectives under the 4D agenda.

Comrade Idehai also highlighted the importance of continuous training and capacity-building for DICAN members by all agencies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He emphasized that such training would enhance their ability to report effectively on developments within the diplomatic and foreign affairs sector.

He further stated that the meeting with DICAN executives reinforced the critical role of diplomatic correspondents in shaping foreign policy discourse and promoting public awareness of Nigeria’s global engagements.