My people, e be like say peace matter don enter serious discussion for Abuja as di Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria Programme waka come together for im first Annual Learning and Adaptation Event. Na somtin wey happen for Monday and e gather high-level goment officials, security agents, program partners, and civil society leaders wey sabi.
This event no be small thing o! Dem come together to review wetin dem fit do to reduce violence and make peace work for northern Nigeria. Na four-year initiative wey start from 2024 to 2028 and na UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office dey fund am, plus Tetra Tech International Development dey run di show.
Dem say di SPRiNG program go help create strong institutions wey go fit manage conflicts and also boost public confidence. No be small tin o! Di British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, even come talk as e highlight di importance of peace and resilience for UK-Nigeria relationship. E talk say, “This matter na wetin dey vex for our partnership, wey we no fit overlook!”
Montgomery talk say Nigeria na one big diplomatic partner for dem, and as Nigeria dey grow in population, so di influence go don increase too. E talk say wetin dem sign for 2024 no be just paper, but serious matter wey concern security and defence, both di “kinetic” and “non-kinetic” approach.
For di event, di Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Malagi, send im representative come deliver wetin dem dey call di keynote address. Dem talk say communication badging and teamwork na key to national stability. Representatives from Women Affairs and Livestock Development even join am to stress how gender matters fit help national security.
Di SPRiNG Team Leader, Ukoha Ukiwo, come yarn say di strength of di program dey for im evidence-driven approach. E talk say di conflict fit change anytime, but dem go dey adapt with solutions. “Na wetin we dey discuss today be how our intervention dey work, we wan learn from wetin dey happen, and make we no just dey react but dey prevent wahala,” Ukiwo yarn.
As di event dey run, high-level panel wey Kemi Okenyedo dey moderate talk plenty about di progress and wetin dey happen for peace and resilience. Some big names join di panel, including di Director General of Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Ms Josephine Habba, and dem even talk about how women suppose dey formally included for peace and security matters.
Di event no end without di Project Fair, wey show how communities dey benefit from di “Peace Dividend”. E allow stakeholders to interact directly with beneficiaries everywhere dem don dey implement di program. Na so di matter be, people dey see how things dey change for places like Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, and Plateau states.
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