Professor Isaac Olawale Albert, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, delivered the 2017 Kofi Annan – Dag Hammarskjöld lecture in Accra on 4 April 2017. The title of the lecture was Regional Engagement in Peacebuilding in Africa: Perspectives and Challenges.
In the lecture, Professor Albert underscored that while regional actors on the continent have instituted sound policy on peacebuilding and reached some key milestones, many challenges remain. In dealing with these challenges, he stressed that regional policy on its own cannot translate into peaceful outcomes; African leaders must also have political will, strong institutions and resources for driving these processes.
Professor Albert also highlighted the importance of connecting regional peacebuilding efforts with peace and development processes at the national and grassroots levels, ensuring coherence between various actors and initiatives, inclusivity and national ownership.