Sustainable Progress, Development in Nigeria Impossible Without Peace -Says Adeyemo, New UN-POLAC International Peace Advocate

By:Olufemi Orunsola

Frontline real estate entrepreneur and CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, has described peace as the primary raw material for progress and development in the society in the same way land is a primary raw material in real estate business, insisting that Nigeria needs peace to navigate her ways out of the current socio-economic and security challenges.

Defining peace as a state of calmness and tranquility devoid of violence, fear and insecurity, Adeyemo affirmed that to have a peaceful country is a shared responsibility, urging Nigerians to join hands to build a peaceful and harmonious Nigeria where sustainable progress and development becomes the new normal.

The real estate trail blazer made this known at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos during his remarks after his investiture as International Peace Advocate, an honour bestowed on him on Saturday by the United Nations Positive Lives Award Centre(POLAC), as part of activities commemorating the celebration of the 2024 International Day of Multilateralism & Diplomacy for Peace.

The theme of the 2024 edition of the celebration is “Uniting for a Peaceful & Sustainable Future.’

He maintained that peace is very crucial for a stable world, stressing that the United Nations as a global body has been championing the path of peace in many troubled spots around the world.

Adeyemo who is the brain behind Pelican Valley Estate Laderin, Abeokuta, Pelican Valley Brief Estate, Pelican’s Ecostay Apartments and Pelican Greenish Acre Farm Estate  – located at Kobape corridor of Ogun State, commended the foundation for deeming him worthy of the appointment and pledged to dedicate more of his time and resources to peace building.

He said that the appointment is a call to more sacrifice for peace, recalling that through his real estate business, he has been engaging in peace building with zero litigation and also by addressing issues such as youths unemployment, widows’ plights, poverty and lack among the downtrodden, having identified them as threats to the peace of society, community and nation if they remained unaddressed.

Adeyemo said, “I take my appointment and investiture as International Peace Advocate as a call to dedication and more commitment to Peace building, Peace Making and Peace Sustenance for progress, development and harmonious living.

In his words; “I can’t talk about myself in this task of Peace Making without mentioning the Pelican Valley because it has become quite difficult for anybody to separate me from the Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited. It is not just a household name in championing due diligence, integrity and value for investments in Nigeria’s real estate industry but also fostering peace in the society and communities.

“We identify youth unemployment as a threat to peace and it is the reason that 98% of our workforce is made of youths -we make them productively engaged by creating direct and indirect jobs for them through our real estate business and thereby steering them away from conducts and associations inimical to societal and communal peace.

“Again, one of the things that create conflicts in families and communities today is also land acquisition and land dispute. You might have heard of the Omoniles and the Ajagungbales and the multiple risks associated with their activities. In other parts of the country, their names may vary but their violent activities are almost similar.

“In real estate business, land is a major raw material and Pelican Valley has been acquiring this raw Material to build its estates in a manner devoid of litigations, violence or police cases because we adopted due diligence as our rule of engagement. We don’t buy any land from families or communities until we have met everybody connected to the root of Tittle and get their blessing to buy, while we immediately follow up with necessary approvals from the authorities. So, If you buy land or property from us, you buy Peace. You will have rest of mind and value for your investments.

“And through our Okó Opó Foundation, a charity organisation, we are tackling poverty and hunger which are also threats to peace. Recently on December 26, 2023, over 100 widows from over 12 communities in Ogun State were supported with food items and cash to make their yuletide and the New Year worthwhile. We have also extended same gesture to worship centres and also connect communities in darkness to the national grid.

“So, as said earlier, I see my appointment and investiture as a call to sacrifice my time and resources towards Peace building.”

Open Television Naija reports that no fewer than 35 other eminent Nigerians were inducted at the event alongside the Pelican Valley CEO, Ambassador Babatunde Adeyemo.