The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has increased the number of peace actors, also known as positive influencers and conflict mediators, in Cross River State.
This follows the inauguration of more members into the Prevent Council, a multilevel conflict management strategy (top, middle – range and grassroots leadership) based on the principle of local ownership and inclusive participation. The Council is an initiative of PIND, launched in 2022.
The inauguration, which took place during a two-day programme held in Calabar between 29th and 30th August 2024, saw many traditional rulers, youths, women and girls inaugurated to arrest conflicts that give rise to violence in their various communities across the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.
Speaking during the programme with the theme: “Capacity Strengthening For Prevent Councils In Cross River State”, Mr Tunji Idowu, Executive Director/Managing Trustee of PIND, represented by Dr Chukwudi Njoku, said the central goal of the Prevent Council is to promote and sustain social cohesion and peaceful coexistence in the society with no one left behind. “It emphasises that the achievement of sustainable peace must involve multilateral engagements with the traditional institutions as critical positive influencers and conflict mediators in their respective states and communities.”
He said insecurity contributes to poverty in the South, South and North East geopolitical regions of Nigeria, adding that the Prevent Council forms an integral part of early warning and access to addressing conflicts, which will, in turn, foster growth and development.
“Data shows that violent conflict in the Niger Delta is mainly driven by a variety of interrelated and often overlapping factors. Conflict issues are mostly around criminality and communal tensions over land and boundary disputes, which often lead to violence, deaths, destruction of properties, and internal displacement of residents.
“Violent conflict has also been identified as a major driver of poverty in the region. According to the 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), insecurity contributes more to poverty in the South South and North East regions than other regions in the country. According to the MPI, 71.3%, 75.4% and 47.6% of the population are poor in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta State respectively.
“If conflicts are not addressed appropriately, they could worsen and escalate violence thereby deepening poverty that could further derail peace and development in the region. This informed the need for this strategic engagement of top government officials, notable traditional institutions, community influencers and other stakeholders to advise and take proactive actions to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts in the region through the Prevent Council,” Idowu said.
He said in 2022, PIND established and inaugurated Prevent Councils in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta to experiment with how local institutions and stakeholders, including traditional rulers and community leaders, can be leveraged for peacebuilding and conflict mitigation in the community, local and state levels.
“Since the inauguration in 2022, the members have been working as positive influencers and conflict mediators within their respective states and communities, with a focus on communal land and boundary disputes, and some successes have been recorded.
“In view of the successes achieved and the need for sustainability, we are expanding the Prevent Councils to communities and local governments that we did not hitherto cover, which are also hotspots of communal conflicts. In September 2024, we are also going to inaugurate Prevent Councils in Abia, Edo and Ondo States. These further buttresses our commitment to a peaceful and economically viable Niger Delta region.
“To effectively deliver its enormous task, the Prevent Council will work in collaboration with the Partners for Peace (P4P) Network and other stakeholders at the state, local and community levels. The Prevent Councils would form an integral part of the response mechanisms of PIND’s Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system,” he maintained.
Speaking also, HRM Elder Ambassador Solomon O. Edward, Chairman of Cross River State Traditional Rulers’ Council and Paramount Ruler of Abi, lauded PIND’s idea to inaugurate the Prevent Council in the state.
According to him, “In 2022, we were here to form this council. This engagement was done to reduce violence and strengthen peace without which there will be no human existence.”
He added, “There is nothing as important as peace; if you don’t have peace in what you’re doing, you will not feel fine. I want to encourage us to apply this knowledge and privilege in our homes and communities to reduce violence in the state.”
Other traditional rulers who were inaugurated took time to list out causes of violence in their communities and how to address them.
CONVERSEER reports that PIND is a nonprofit organisation that promotes peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
From its inception in 2010 to 2024, PIND Foundation, with its two-pillar programmes – Economic Development and Peacebuilding has contributed to the transformation of the landscape for sustainable peace and development in the region. Within the period, over 919,500 farmers and Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been reached with information on agricultural and business best practices; improved knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of over 457,729 farmers & SMEs that stirred improved productivity and additional income of over NGN51.4 billion; more than 64,985 new jobs facilitated in agriculture, building construction, and ICT sectors in the Niger Delta; and influenced over NGN54 billion additional investment by Federal and State governments, the private sector, and donor agencies in the region through the Economic Development Programme.
With the Peacebuilding Programme, the capacity of over 11,000 peace actors has been strengthened to tackle conflicts, and in 2023 and 2024 alone, over 2000 conflicts have been mitigated by the peace actors, contributing immensely to stabilising the region for sustainable economic growth and development.
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