Plateau State leaders and stakeholders have been challenged to move beyond rhetoric and take deliberate steps towards building a united state anchored on justice, equity, inclusion, responsible leadership and shared prosperity.
The call was made at the 2026 leadership retreat organised by the Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) in Jos, with the theme, “Building a United Plateau: Harnessing Our Diversity and Mineral Wealth for Sustainable Peace and Development.”
The retreat brought together Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, traditional rulers, Christian and Muslim leaders, representatives of Plateau’s 56 ethnic nationalities, government officials and other stakeholders to deliberate on the state’s peace, security, diversity and economic development.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Clement Dakas, SAN, said the use of the word “building” in the theme was significant because unity could not be achieved through wishful thinking or complaints.
According to him, building requires action, sacrifice, planning and determination, urging Plateau people to critically examine what they were prepared to contribute towards achieving the kind of state they desired.
“Building is a verb, and that means that it is a doing word. It requires action. It requires effort,” Dakas said.
The professor of law warned that Plateau could not achieve genuine unity through ethnic chauvinism, religious intolerance, tribalism, political exclusion, nepotism, corruption, impunity and mutual suspicion.
He said the foundation for a united Plateau must instead rest on justice, equity, inclusion, integrity, mutual respect, responsible leadership and a commitment to the common good.
Dakas challenged participants to confront the factors responsible for division in the state, including ethnicity, religion, politics, competition over land and resources, struggles for political power, historical grievances and the manipulation of differences by what he described as “conflict entrepreneurs.”
He also urged citizens to look inward and determine whether their actions or inactions were contributing to the problems confronting the state or helping to solve them.
The keynote speaker cautioned against double standards in responding to injustice, saying citizens should not demand justice only when members of their own ethnic or religious groups are affected while remaining silent when others suffer.
He further called for responsible use of social media, particularly the verification of information before sharing inflammatory messages capable of deepening existing tensions.
Dakas said the retreat should not become an “echo chamber” where participants only listened to people who agreed with them, but should provide space for difficult, honest and constructive conversations.
“I may not agree with you, but I am prepared to listen to you. I may be uncomfortable with what you are saying, but I am prepared to consider it,” he said.
He also warned that unity, in itself, was not automatically virtuous, arguing that people could unite around corruption, exclusion, privilege or opposition to another group.
According to him, Plateau must instead unite around sustainable peace and development, noting that peace should go beyond merely the absence of violence or gunshots.
“Peace is not the end of the journey. Peace is an enabler,” Dakas said, stressing that sustainable development could only thrive in a peaceful environment where farmers, traders, students, investors and communities could operate without fear.
He described Plateau’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity as an opportunity rather than a problem, urging citizens to transform their differences into sources of creativity, resilience and social capital.
Dakas also identified the state’s mineral resources as a major economic opportunity that could become a source of conflict if poorly managed.
He raised questions concerning ownership, licensing, beneficiaries, environmental costs, host communities and revenue management, stressing that mineral exploitation should benefit the people whose ancestral lands contain the resources.
The professor expressed concern over abandoned mining sites and alleged unregulated extraction, saying the objective should not merely be to extract minerals but to “convert mineral wealth into human development.”
He therefore urged PIDAN to ensure that communities were properly involved in government initiatives aimed at reclaiming abandoned mining ponds and converting them into productive ventures, rather than adopting a top-down approach.
Dakas recommended the establishment of a PIDAN Peace and Development Programme focusing on research, leadership training and policy advocacy, as well as a standing inter-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation council.
He also proposed a Plateau Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Programme focusing on mining, agriculture, technology and civic responsibility, and called for collaboration between PIDAN and the University of Jos to establish a Centre for Middle Belt Studies.
The keynote speaker further urged the university to honour the late Chief J.D. Gomwalk, whom he described as one of the founding fathers of the University of Jos, either through an honorary degree or by naming a major structure after him.
Earlier, Governor Mutfwang observed a minute’s silence in honour of victims of recent attacks in the state and described PIDAN as an important catalyst for development and peaceful coexistence.
The governor pledged closer collaboration with PIDAN and identified insecurity, the return and reintegration of displaced persons, youth unemployment and responsible mining as areas requiring urgent attention.
Mutfwang expressed concern over the impact of unregulated mining, noting that indiscriminate extraction had left thousands of abandoned mining pits across the state.
“We must turn our mineral wealth into shared prosperity rather than a source of conflict,” the governor said.
He also stressed that his administration would not support any policy that forcibly takes land from citizens, insisting on the protection of the rights and interests of communities.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Dr. Abiodun Esiet, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for community-driven peace initiatives and announced plans for a North-Central Security Summit involving traditional rulers, religious leaders and farmers’ groups.
She also commiserated with Plateau communities over recent attacks in Riyom and Mangu Local Government Areas and urged stakeholders to strengthen mechanisms for peaceful coexistence.
Representing the Gbong Gwom Jos and Chairman of the Plateau State Traditional Council, His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, the Agwom Izere, Rev. Dr. Isaac Wakili, said lasting peace could only be achieved through collective efforts involving communities, traditional institutions and government.
He emphasised the need to restore confidence among communities and protect ancestral lands as essential components of sustainable peace.
The Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Barrister Olivia Dazyam, drew attention to human rights violations and the trafficking of children out of the state, urging stakeholders to make child protection and welfare central to peacebuilding efforts.
The President of PIDAN, Ambassador Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, condemned recent attacks in the state and called for justice for victims, stressing that the organisation had consistently worked to ensure that the voice of Plateau people was heard on critical issues.
Sheni attributed PIDAN’s achievements to the dedication of its past and present leaders, despite the organisation’s funding challenges.
Christian and Muslim leaders at the retreat similarly described Plateau’s diversity as a strength, calling on citizens to place the common destiny of the state above individual, ethnic and sectional interests.
PIDAN was conceived following the September 2001 crisis under the late Architect Simeon Longson but later became dormant before its revival between 2008 and 2009 through the efforts of Professor Nenfort Gomwalk and Barrister Timothy Baba Parlong.
A decisive meeting on December 29, 2008, gave the organisation a formal structure. Originally known as the Plateau Indigenous Development Association Network, PIDAN now brings together presidents and secretaries representing the state’s 56 ethnic nationalities.
The organisation has promoted dialogue over confrontation, submitted memoranda to commissions of inquiry and published three books aimed at documenting and clarifying the history of Jos and crises affecting Plateau State.
Despite financial constraints, PIDAN members have continued to sustain its activities through personal sacrifices while promoting unity, peace, cultural preservation and the mentoring and empowerment of women and young people.
In his concluding remarks, Dakas reminded Plateau leaders that the development of the state could not be the responsibility of government, one ethnic group or one religious community alone.
“The builders are all of us,” he said, urging the people of Plateau to confront their fears, abandon prejudices, strengthen institutions and collectively build a state where diversity becomes an asset and mineral wealth translates into sustainable development and shared prosperity.
