PRESS RELEASE: IPU, Geneva, Switzerland. October 20, 2025 THE COURAGE TO CARE: A CALL TO HUMANITARIAN DUTY
The President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, has called on world leaders and parliaments to rekindle their commitment to humanitarian duty and moral responsibility in the face of global suffering.
Speaking at the Humanitarian Session of the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva — in a speech delivered on his behalf by Senator Osita Ngwu — Senator Akpabio declared that the world must rediscover “the courage to care” in an age marked by wars, displacement, and human despair.
“We meet in a world that is weary and wounded. A world that bleeds in silence… Three hundred and ten million people in need — these are not figures; they are faces,” the Senate President said, painting a vivid picture of the humanitarian crises confronting the globe.
He emphasized that the true measure of a nation’s greatness lies not in its wealth or military might, but in its compassion and commitment to protecting the weak, noting that Nigeria has continued to uphold this moral and constitutional responsibility through strong laws and responsive institutions.
Senator Akpabio cited Nigeria’s establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the National Commission for Refugees and Displaced Persons as examples of institutionalized humanitarian response, ensuring that “when disaster strikes, help is not delayed, and hope is not denied.”
He further noted that the National Assembly has embedded compassion into law — protecting women, children, and vulnerable citizens through the Violence Against Persons Act, the Child Rights Act, the Trafficking in Persons Act, and the Disability Act.
The Senate President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, highlighting partnerships with ECOWAS, the Red Crescent, the World Food Programme, and the United Nations in advancing humanitarian goals and tackling the root causes of human suffering, including climate change and corruption.
In his stirring conclusion, Senator Akpabio called for a collective moral awakening among global leaders: “We must stop wars before wars stop us. There are no battlefields — only fields of mourning. Each gunshot silences a dream; each ‘victory’ buries a generation… Let us build, stone by stone, law by law, a world where mercy is mightier than war.”
The address, titled “The Courage to Care: A Call to Humanitarian Duty,” was warmly received by delegates, reaffirming Nigeria’s voice as a moral leader in the global pursuit of peace, compassion, and justice.
The Nigerian delegation to the event included Senators Ireti Kingibe, Asuquo Ekpenyong, Zam Titus, Folorunsho Ibrahim Jimoh, and Ibrahim Dankwambo, as well as Hon. Mark Esset, a member of the House of Representatives, who led the delegation. Also in attendance were other members of the House of Representatives, along with various technocrats and bureaucrats.
Media Unit.
