PEACE CORPS OF NIGERIA TURNS 28: COMMANDANT AKOH SEEKS NON-KINETIC ROLE IN NATIONAL SECURITY REFORM
Says 187,000-member Corps can serve as grassroots intelligence and soft-target shield as Senate awaits Establishment Bill
By Gambo Jagindi
July 10, 2026
The Peace Corps of Nigeria on Friday marked 28 years of existence with a renewed call for inclusion in Nigeria’s evolving security architecture, as its National Commandant, Dr. Dickson A.O. Akoh, said the country could no longer afford the illusion of stability while insecurity persists.
Speaking at a media briefing to commemorate the 28th Anniversary and 2026 Founder’s Day at the Corps’ Headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Akoh described the event as a moment of “national remembrance, reflection, and institutional re-dedication” since the organization’s founding on July 10, 1998.
Tracing the Corps’ trajectory, the Commandant said its members across the 36 states and the FCT were celebrating “a historic journey defined by obstacles, triumphs, and thousands of young lives positively transformed.”
the Corps has evolved into a nationally and internationally recognized, youth-driven force for social transformation,” Dr. Akoh stated. He said the organization remains focused on “structured character development and genuine youth empowerment” as pathways to a more peaceful society.
This year’s theme, “Peace Corps at 28: A Major Stakeholder in Addressing Contemporary Security Challenges, Options and Strategies in Nigeria,” framed the Corps’ intervention in the national security debate.
“We must confront the stark reality that a pretentious peace is far more dangerous, devastating, and destructive than an open war,” Dr. Akoh said. “The current state of insecurity has assumed a critical dimension that directly threatens the corporate existence of our nation.”
He argued for a shift from kinetic-only responses to “strategic, non-kinetic partnerships” that deliberately engage Nigeria’s youth population in “intelligence-driven civil defense” to secure vulnerable communities.
The Commandant welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to restructure the security sector, but urged the Federal Government to draw lessons from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil.
“These nations recognize that national security is an expansive ecosystem requiring specialized auxiliary agencies, rather than a burden placed entirely on a few kinetic, heavily armed formations,” he said.
According to him, deploying conventional forces to cover every soft target “dilutes operational focus, fuels jurisdictional friction, and leaves vital spaces vulnerable.” He proposed a multi-tiered model where auxiliaries handle grassroots surveillance, freeing the military and police to concentrate on specialized operations.
Dr. Akoh made a direct appeal to President Tinubu to integrate the Peace Corps, which he said boasts “over 187,000 personnel” with nationwide reach.
He outlined three areas of deployment: operating as a grassroots information network to channel local safety data to security agencies and the Office of the National Security Adviser; relieving conventional forces of neighborhood watch, school safety, and soft-target duties; and serving as a “youth orientation pipeline” to profile and prepare young Nigerians for civic or future military and paramilitary service.
“Through these complementary strategies, the Peace Corps transforms youth vulnerability into a proactive, nationwide asset for sustainable peace and national security,” he said.
The Commandant also appealed to the 10th Senate to expedite passage of the Peace Corps Establishment Bill, describing its assent as “the most cherished 28th Anniversary gift to millions of dedicated, patriotic young Nigerians.”
“Though the legislative path has been protracted, victory belongs to the tenacious,” he added.
Closing his address, Dr. Akoh commended officers and men for their “unrelenting patriotism” and urged them to remain disciplined. He quoted former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”
“As we await legislative concurrence, let us continue to execute our roles with the highest ethical standards,” he said.
