By Idahosa Moses | Benin
The President of NBM of Africa Worldwide, Dr Charles Chimezie, has called for stronger collaboration among ECOWAS, governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, humanitarian organisations and civil society groups to strengthen peace, security and human dignity across Africa.
Dr. Chimezie made the call on Monday, 21 September, 2026 in Abuja while delivering the organisation’s World Peace Day address at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Asokoro.
He stressed that sustainable peace required more than security operations, but also humanitarian intervention, community engagement, youth empowerment and protection of vulnerable citizens.
The NBM President said peace should be seen as a practical responsibility involving service, compassion and protection of vulnerable communities, rather than merely a slogan.
He noted that NBM had over four decades translated the principles into humanitarian and community-based interventions.
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According to him, the organisation’s interventions had covered healthcare outreaches, scholarships and educational support, disaster relief, welfare assistance, environmental sanitation, community development and assistance to vulnerable families and communities.
Chimezie disclosed that members of the organisation, had in September, voluntarily donated blood to hospitals including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City; Maitama Hospital, Abuja; Kuje General Hospital; Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia; Delta State University Teaching Hospital and Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos.
He explained that the blood donation exercise was motivated by the need to save lives, stressing that behind every request for blood could be a mother, child, accident victim or surgical patient whose survival depended on the availability of the life-saving commodity.
Chimezie also disclosed that NBM had supported displaced persons and disaster victims with food, financial assistance and relief materials, including recent interventions in Borno State carried out in partnership with the state government.
He maintained that the organisation had equally invested in education and community health initiatives, arguing that an educated child was less vulnerable to exploitation, crime and hopelessness, while decent living conditions were essential to human dignity.
He said NBM’s public education campaigns were also targeted at young people, with messages against crime, violence and social division, while encouraging responsible citizenship, peaceful coexistence, social justice, equality and respect for human rights.
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Chimezie stressed that NBM recognised the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of security agencies and would not usurp their functions, noting that the organisation neither investigates crimes, arrests suspects nor prosecutes offenders.
He, however, called for a structured partnership through which NBM’s grassroots presence could complement legitimate institutions in peace education, youth engagement, community dialogue, humanitarian intervention, child protection and early identification and lawful referral of emerging concerns.
The NBM president said Africa needed stronger bridges between institutions and the people they served, urging ECOWAS, governments, security agencies, humanitarian organisations and communities to work together to build trust, protect vulnerable people and prevent conflicts before they escalate.
He said the organisation’s message remained: “One Africa. One Humanity. One Peace
