Peacemedia Foundation Launched In Ebonyi, Partners For Peace, Community Sustenance
By Alex Odeh, Pan Afric Reporters
The Peacemedia Foundation for Youth, Women and Community Development has unveiled its development agenda with a call for stronger partnerships to promote peace, youth empowerment, women development and sustainable community transformation across Nigeria.
The unveiling took place during a joint stakeholders’ engagement, inauguration of the Foundation’s Advisory Board and the unveiling of Project, Thursday, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
Speaking while declaring the event open, renowned development expert and keynote speaker and the Chairman of the Advisory Board Committee of the foundation, Dr. Ibiam Azu, stressed that sustainable development could only be achieved through strategic partnerships, noting that no institution, government or individual could successfully address today’s development challenges in isolation.
Delivering a keynote address titled “Building Partnership for Sustainable Development,” Dr. Azu urged members of the newly inaugurated Advisory Board to serve as a strategic think tank for the Foundation by leveraging their professional networks, experience and expertise to attract grants, partnerships and innovative ideas that would enhance the Foundation’s impact.
Drawing from his experience in the health and development sector, he said collaboration among government institutions, development partners, the media, academia, civil society organisations and communities remains the most effective approach to achieving lasting development.
According to him, the Advisory Board’s responsibility extends beyond governance to providing strategic direction, ensuring accountability and supporting programmes capable of making meaningful impacts in the lives of the people.
Chairman of the occasion and Executive Director of DIG Foundation, Oliver Ajah Chima, commended the founder of the Foundation, Comrade Israel Ekene Mbam, describing him as a committed development practitioner whose passion for humanitarian service dates back several years.
Chima disclosed that his relationship with the founder began during their involvement in civil society activities, adding that many professionals in the development sector, including himself, had watched Mbam grow into a respected advocate for community development.
“I know people who are serious from the way they begin. With the foundation you are laying today, you will go far,” Chima said.
He pledged the support of DIG Foundation and other development partners to ensure the success of the Foundation’s programmes, expressing confidence that the initiative would positively impact Ebonyi State, Nigeria and Africa at large.
Earlier, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Peacemedia Foundation, Comrade Israel Ekene Mbam, said the organisation was established to build peaceful, inclusive and sustainable communities through strategic partnerships, media engagement and impactful development programmes.
He explained that the Foundation would focus on peacebuilding and conflict prevention, civic education, youth leadership development, women empowerment, entrepreneurship, democratic governance, media development and community transformation.
Mbam said the inauguration of the Advisory Board marked a significant milestone in the Foundation’s journey, noting that the members were carefully selected based on their integrity, competence and wealth of experience.
He described the event as more than a ceremonial gathering, saying it was designed to strengthen partnerships, unveil strategic projects and mobilise stakeholders towards addressing pressing social challenges.
The founder also traced the inspiration behind the Foundation to his youthful passion for using journalism and mass communication as tools for social change, revealing that the vision began in 2006 before evolving into media and civil society initiatives, including the establishment of People’s Guide Newspaper and subsequent development programmes.
He said the experiences gained from working with seasoned development practitioners inspired the establishment of Pacemedia Foundation as a platform where professionals from different sectors could collectively provide solutions to societal challenges.
Mbam called on government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, the media, the private sector and community leaders to embrace the Foundation as a platform for collective action capable of creating opportunities, promoting peace and improving livelihoods.
Other speakers, including Prof. Ifeyinwa Nsude, Dr. Stephen Elem (Galaxy), Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Samson Nwafor, alongside representatives of academia, civil society organisations, the media, business community, traditional institutions and the political class, applauded the initiative and urged the Foundation to make peacebuilding a central component of its intervention programmes.
They noted that many communities across Ebonyi State had suffered setbacks due to recurring communal conflicts and encouraged the Foundation to sustain advocacy for peaceful coexistence, dialogue and inclusive development.
The speakers further described Mbam as an inspiration to young people and pledged continued collaboration, publicity and institutional support to enable the Foundation to realise its vision of building resilient communities through partnerships and citizen engagement.
