Promoting sustainable peace is a major concern for world regions, especially one enmeshed in recurring conflict and violence, such as in Africa. Ethnoreligious conflicts, boundary disputes, genocide, resource-based conflicts, and youth restiveness characterize many African nations. This idea has been made intricate by a surge in the youth population, massive unemployment, limited education opportunities, and widespread poverty that makes youth key factors in the generation of conflict in Africa. Despite these challenges, the youth of many African nations have distinguished themselves as agents of peace and conflict resolution. On this premise, this article examines youth as agents of peace and reconciliation in Africa. The paper adopts a thematic approach within a qualitative framework and relies on secondary data from briefs, newspapers, conference papers, government reports, and peer-reviewed journal articles. The paper found that shifting focus from the stereotypical prejudice of youth as agents of conflict to agents of peace is instrumental to unlocking their potential as actors in Africa's peace process and conflict resolution. It was also found that youth promote peace and inclusion through advocacy and civic engagement. They use tools such as music, arts, sports, education, storytelling, and interfaith dialogue to build cohesion, resilience, peace, and trust in various parts of Africa. Resultantly, the article made practical policy recommendations such as the establishment of an African Youth Assembly (AYA), African Youth Parliaments (AYP), Youth Participation Commission (YPC), and Youth Empowerment Commission (YEC) – among others. Keywords: Conflict, Governance, Inclusion, Peacebuilding, Youth

Extrajudicial killings attributed to personnel of the Nigerian Police in the conduct of their constitutional duties and responsibilities have become prevalent in recent times. They have been accused of human rights violations, torture, brutality, and unlawful killings of varying proportions. This palpable, yet injurious trend has become a strain on effective policing and security in Nigeria. This paper examines the role of the Nigeria Police Force in extrajudicial killings in the course of discharging their duties since the return to civilian rule in 1999 and how Police reforms can help increase police accountability. The paper was anchored on the organizational theory of police behavior and adopts a qualitative approach by reviewing the literature on extrajudicial killings by the Nigerian police as available in peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, media reports, newspapers, and international agencies reports. The findings show that the Nigerian Police have been largely complicit in extrajudicial killings. It also shows that organizational deficits such as corruption, lack of investigative infrastructure, lack of human rights training, poor working conditions, poor internal control, and the often-abused Order 237 are major factors that enhance the perpetuation of the incidence of extrajudicial killings by the Police. The study concluded that without a sincere approach toward reforming the Police, extrajudicial killings might become a dominant narrative. Therefore, the paper recommends that a comprehensive security reform of the Nigerian Police should be carried out in conjunction with the private sector and Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria.