PROF (Sundiata Post) – Taslim Hammed of the Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, made the call in Ibadan on Thursday while delivering the university’s 546th Inaugural Lecture.
Hammed underscored the use of the counselling psychology approach to address some of the recent concerns of Nigeria, adding that youth violence was one of the most pernicious evils confronting the society. In his lecture titled, “We Die Here Today: Youth Violence, Social Dysfunction and a Counselling Psychologist’s Pathway to Peace”, he emphasised the need to seek peace in troubled times.
He said his research had over the years developed different strategies for promoting peace through counselling psychology.
Hammed said for the promotion of peace through structural violence reduction, conflict prevention, access to justice, and human rights among others, systemic issues and a policy change must be considered.
The don also called for a deliberate youth development policy, stating that the youths largely faced violence caused by the actions and inactions of Nigerian agencies. “
This lack of attention can be put down to the fact that young people, as a social category, are often relegated to the background in governance, social policies, institution building, and critical areas of public and private life,” Hammed said. According to him, a policy change that can tackle the root cause of conflicts will play a critical role in building and sustaining peace as well as creating a just and equitable society. (NAN)