Meet Joshua Fagbemi, Peacepace Initiative’s Ambassador of the Year 2025

By: Peacepace

Every year since 2019, our community (ambassadors and volunteers) nominates outstanding ambassadors who have made significant contributions to our mission in the year under consideration, in any department or location. 

Thereafter, our community members vote to decide the winner of the Ambassador of the Year Award among equal contenders. Amb. Joshua was popularly voted this year for his exceptional performance as our Editorial unit head and demonstrated commitment to our cause.

In this interview, Amb. Joshua Fagbemi discussed his journey, passion, and what being part of Peacepace Initiative means to him.

Question 1: Congratulations on winning the Peacepace Initiative 2025 Ambassador of the Year Award, Amb. Joshua Fagbemi! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and your background?

Answer: Thanks for the recognition. Well, let me just mention some highlights of my rough journey. I call it rough because it has been decorated by mixed scenarios that shaped my tenacity.

I’m Joshua Fagbemi, a native of Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State. I’m born into a family of six, where I’m the second child. My Secondary School education was at Ibadan Grammar School. I have bagged two tertiary education certificates to date. The first is an ND (Business Administration) at The Polytechnic Ibadan, Saki Campus. Then proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where I bagged a BSc. Ed. (Economics). I’m currently a Tech Journalist for Technext, where I cover the African Telecoms space. Joshua Fagbemi is someone who believes in putting his all into anything he finds himself doing. I might not be the best at what I do, but I strive to give my best.

Question 2: What inspired you to become an ambassador and volunteer for Peacepace?

Answer: Good one. I have always seen the mention of Peacepace Initiative activities on Amb. Paul Adenipekun’s status (we were colleagues at the University of Ibadan). He will later explain to me the anatomy of the organisation and its activities. For me, I have always wanted to give back to the community in any way I can.

After looking through various departments, I was convinced that by joining the content creation unit, I could use my writing skills to tell impactful stories that surround advocating for peace in Nigeria and Africa at large.  For the record, I joined Peacepace Initiative in 2022 (my 200-level days).

Question 3: Can you share some highlights from your experience as a Peacepace ambassador and volunteer?

Answer: Joining Peacepace Initiative has broadened my knowledge on how every citizen is responsible for good governance in a country. And without peace or action, there’ll be no accountability. As much as people in government must be accountable, the true practice starts with citizens. Beyond the ability to write peace-centred stories, the Nonviolence conference/training was a standout for me. It provided me with the practical process of each person’s responsibility towards a working state. Recently, being the Editorial Unit Head has also sharpened my leadership skills and made me hold tight to responsibilities. In all, it has been a worthwhile experience.

Question 4: What do you think sets Peacepace apart from other organisations, and how do you embody those values in your work?

Answer: I would say it’s the standard, consistency, quality and ability to spread its wings nationwide. The fact that the Peacepace Initiative keeps showing up year in and year out is something worth celebrating. To put this in a more actionable perspective, it’s the fact that the organisation has made an impact across all six geopolitical zones of the country. And that isn’t ordinary. It’s unique! And speaking of impacts, we all have the numbers on the website. A key milestone is sensitising over 2 million people on the importance of peaceful elections. As an ambassador of Peace and writer, the best I could do to reflect the value is to act on what I write.

Question 5: What do you believe has been your most significant contribution to Peacepace, and how has it impacted the community?

Answer: I won’t say the articles, because that has become my daily manna. I would say the opportunity to be among the Pacemlug 9.0 Conference Committee. It was my first time in an organising team, and I would say it was an incredible experience. One thing that stood out was the chance to be involved in decision making, the recognition and the opportunity to anchor one of the conference days. The team, as witnessed by all, was able to successfully organise the annual conference.

Question 6: How does it feel to have your efforts recognised with this award, and what does it mean to you?

Answer: Although the level of desire differs, I think every individual wants recognition for their inputs. For me, getting recognised is simply a privilege and honour. Coming back to my personal motto: “I’m not the best,” so anyone could have been recognised. However, I feel doing something to get recognised should not always be a driver. I’m not saying it’s not good. But it should not be at the centre of the focus.

Question 7: What challenges have you faced as an ambassador, and how have you overcome them?

Answer: A challenge I can easily reckon with is a personal challenge. There was a time I was struggling to execute my task in the Content Creation Unit, but I wasn’t writing. Those moments were periods of transition in my life – a point where I was moving from school to reality.  During those times, it was difficult to multitask.

Question 8: What lessons have you learned throughout your experience, and how do you apply them to your work?

Answer: Well, I have learnt that every little effort counts. Only things you don’t do seem impossible. Once you start, the ‘i m’ is suppressed and the ‘p o s s i b l e’ stands tall. I do apply this in story writing. Having a story idea is like having no story at all. But once I type the first couple of words, it cements that the story will come to life. In real life, we all need this. We need that extra flair to always start that task or duty that seems impossible. All we need to do is act by starting.

Question 9: What are your future plans and goals as a Peacepace ambassador, and how do you see yourself continuing to make an impact?

Answer: It doesn’t look like we have an expiry date in Peacepace Initiative, right? (Smiles). Beyond writing impactful stories and editing beautiful pieces as the Editorial Unit Head (for now), I would love to hold a Peace campaign across selected secondary schools in Ibadan. This is something I have always wanted to achieve within the organisation. Going forward, I aim to replicate Peacepace’s standards in my daily lifestyle. It’s not about writing or saying; we must practice what we preach.

Question 10: Are there any new initiatives or projects you’re excited to work on in the coming year?

Answer: As I stated earlier, I’m aiming to hold a Peace culture campaign. Coming to the Editorial Unit, I’m envisioning a situation where we can roll out 2 articles per week. By the way, it’s all a process.

Question 11: What advice would you give to someone who’s interested in becoming a Peacepace ambassador or volunteer?

Answer: It’s the greatest decision you can ever make in the act of being a responsible citizen and taking part in building a working and peaceful Nigeria. It’s an opportunity to use your talent and unique ways to promote good governance in Nigeria. Besides, it helps you build soft skills such as Leadership and Creativity skills. It’s a rare opportunity to do something great for yourself.

Question 12: Who or what inspires you to continue working towards peace and making a positive difference in the world?

Answer: I get my inspiration in different ways. But my greatest inspiration is the expectations and my conscience. I believe that once I occupy a role or am assigned to a duty, there are expectations I’m meant to fulfil for the smooth running of such a body. That means if I fail to achieve my task, the body/organisation suffers. In all I do, I always want to be credited by that personal conviction and conscience that I have indeed done well.

Image Credit: Peacepace Initiatives

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