Executive Director of Still Waters Foundation, and Leadership development expert, Dr. Femi Lanre-Oke, has urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue rooted in sincerity and action as a lasting solution to recurring conflicts in the country.
Dr. Lanre-Oke, who made this known while speaking with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, explained that conflicts are inevitable due to differences in cultural backgrounds, upbringing, perspectives, and interests.
While advising that resolving disputes requires humility, active listening, and focusing on issues rather than personalities, he said : “We are wired differently. We see things differently. That clash of difference is what results in conflict.'
He pointed out “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 advocated for transformational leadership, which he said fosters positive change in organisations and, ultimately, in the nation.
He enjoined journalists to help bridge divisions by presenting balanced perspectives and speaking truth to power.
Lanre-Oke noted “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” .
On Nigeria’s communal crises, he urged the government to address root causes rather than applying temporary fixes, saying: “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 encouraged genuine dialogue backed by concrete commitments. “If there is a promise, let there be a commitment to it, and a fulfilment of that promise,” he said, adding that progress depends on collective responsibility.
Dr. Lanre-Oke concluded “If everybody cleans the front of his compound, the whole community will be clean. We can do better if we all take responsibility” .
