CONFLICT RESOLUTION, PEACEBUILDING AND RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS

Northern Nigerian women activists’ had called on political leaders across the nineteen northern states and the federal government to as a matter of urgency find a way to dialogue with members of the Boko-Haram sects to down their tools and give peace a chance to lessen the pains and suffering that had characterized the region for the past’s years. This called formed part of the communiqué issued at the end of a three days seminar held at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) auditorium in Abuja from 27th to 29th March, 2013 organized by IDS-Nigeria with support from the “Urgent Action Fund- Africa” to train ‘’Northern Women Activists” to involved in peace building and reconciliation process in their respective constituencies in other to bring an end to sectarian crisis’s in the north eastern part of the country. The sectarian crises in northern Nigeria had affected the political and social economic needs of some of the states which have translate to tougher economic s challenges for women and their children. Women, been the end-receiver of crisis, the Seminar was organized to provide women with relevant skills to participate in the peace building process and simultaneous dialogue with their family members and other stakeholders. Deliverying her welcome address at the opening of the workshop, the Executive Director of IDS-Nigeria, Mrs. Priscilla Ajeneku, urged, northern women to actively get involved in the process that will led to Peace and Unity in the north and the entire country since the women “themselves” are at the receiving-end of all the crisis. She said, “women’s are better peacemaker when given the chance because as ‘’mothers” they know the soft-spot to touch the men and youths to hear their voices.

Participants in a Group Picture at Northern Nigerian Women Activists Peacebuilding Workshop organised by IDS with support from UAF-Africa and NHRC in Abuja.

As part of the effort to promote peacebuilding and reconstruction of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States deverstated by the activities of the dreaded Boko-Haram Insurgency, in 2016  IDS-Intercommunity Development Social Organisation recieved grants from North East Regional Initiative (NERI) through Creative Associate International Incorpoerated USA to provide technical assistance for productive ventures as well as counseling in an intensive manner to small farmers’ cooperatives, groups and associations in Borno state by strengthening their organizational capacity and democratic power structure to become legitimate (formally registered with appropriate government authority), set up or acquire business addresses (office and farm sites) and then initiate or improve administration (EXCO/board members, bank accounts, financial records, office hours). They are to be taught and mentored through participatory organization self assessments and development (POSAD) strategies, to identify areas of strength, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis), to effectively manage Agribusiness and the revolving fund scheme to improve on their capital and production capacity for profitability and sustainability. Members will be encouraged to contribute their quota (resources). It may include space, manpower and other resources available at the community level into their cooperatives and associations to ensure participatory development. The aim is to promote self-reliance and sustaianability. The feature of our training is going to be steady but gradual transformation of their cooperatives into functional units with the available resources. These functional units will now be integrated into a larger effective cooperative federation or coalition through a gradual process.

The project will help achieve the assessment, identification and strengthening of the capacity-gaps that exist among farmer’s cooperatives and associations in Borno State by adapting appropriate and participatory training approach that will involve all the stakeholders in the Borno Respond Initiative (BRI) team and the beneficial farmers through consultations, advisory services, technical inputs and commendations on areas of improvement on components aimed at starting and managing Agribusiness profitably and in a sustainable manner among beneficiaries in Borno state and entire northeastern region. The beneficial farmers associations and agricultural cooperatives has recieve Tractors and other farm implements including improve seeds to  boost production,  promote security and fast-tracking the reconstruction process under following objectives:

• Improve positive participation between communities and the  State Government.
• Support the strengthening of productive lines for the economic development of  north eastern states.
• Create employment opportunities for Youth and Women for  income generating activities (IGA),  employment opportunities and poverty alleviation.

The training focuses on the following areas:

1. Administrative and Financial Managemenet,
2. Agriculutural productive value chain,
3. Revolving Fund maagement,
4. Marketing and Entrepreneurship development, and
5. Business Plan Development.

IDS Technical Team with the Representatives of Creative Associate Int’l Inc. USA and NERI Staff

Participants at the ongoing Transition Capacity Building Training at Hawul LGA Borno State North East Nigeria