Bukola Afeni
Stakeholders in the security and development sector has emphasized the urgent need for proactive conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Nigeria.
As part of measures to sensitize the echelon of security agencies and enhance the capacity of it’s personnel, and other critical agents, stakeholders are organizing an event named the “Conflict Early Warning, Early Response Systems Strategic Stakeholders Engagement Workshop.
The event is organized by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in conjunction with Mercy Corps Nigeria and West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).
The nominated personnel will form a Proposed National Conflict Early Warning Response Group (EWRG).
The Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, noted that EWRG will have a primary role of coordinating and ensuring seamless response to early warning reports across Nigeria.
He noted that the PARTNER Programme(Peace Action for Rapid Transformative Nigerian Early Response) programme that the IPCR is leading, will be implemented with a consortium of organisations.
“The PARTNER consortium members, other than the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mercy Corps Nigeria and West African Network for Peacebuilding, includes the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, Kaduna State Peace Commission, Kukah Centre, Katsina State Peace Committee, Kano State Peace Committee and Mambayya House.
The program is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.
The enhanced early warning early response system to be established under the Peace Action For Rapid Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER) will be in 9 states that are categorised in three tiers: Plateau and Kaduna (Tier 1); Benue, Katsina, Kano and Nasarawa (Tier2); Kogi, Niger and Zamfara states (Tier 3).
The PARTNER project has three components, which are conflict early warning, social cohesion; and peacebuilding.
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) was founded in February 2000 as a research centre, a think-tank, and an entity dedicated to enhancing Nigeria’s ability to foster peace and prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts. Operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the IPCR’s primary focus is on strengthening the nation’s capacity for promoting peaceful initiatives and effective conflict resolution strategies.
