Leadership development expert and Executive Director of Still Waters Foundation, Dr. Femi Lanre-Oke, has urged Nigerians to embrace sincere dialogue backed by concrete action as a lasting solution to recurring conflicts across the country.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Dr. Lanre-Oke said differences in cultural backgrounds, upbringing, perspectives, and interests make conflicts inevitable.
“We are wired differently. We see things differently. That clash of difference is what results in conflict,” he noted. “You cannot be always right. No matter how much you know, you cannot know all, all the time. Address the issue, not the person.”
The leadership coach stressed that resolving disputes requires humility, active listening, and focusing on issues rather than personalities. He also called for transformational leadership capable of driving positive change in organisations and in the nation at large.
Lanre-Oke charged journalists to play a pivotal role in bridging divisions by presenting balanced perspectives and speaking truth to power. “At the national level, conflict can arise when people feel cheated or neglected. The government may not even know what is happening, but when journalists present the true picture, they can help restore balance,” he said.
On communal crises, he advised the government to tackle underlying causes instead of relying on short-term measures. “If you do not address the root, and we use external forces, you just calm it down a little, and it will come back again,” he warned.
He emphasised that promises made during peace efforts must be fulfilled to sustain trust and unity. “If everybody cleans the front of his compound, the whole community will be clean. We can do better if we all take responsibility,” he concluded.
