NGO trains 9,600 women on peace, mediation skills in Plateau

This article is about the work of the Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which trained 9,600 women in Plateau on peace mediation and dialogue skills.  

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NGO trains 9,600 women on peace, mediation skills in Plateau

Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), says it has trained 9,600 women in Plateau on peace mediation and dialogue skills.

Mrs. Jummai Fidelis, CEPAN’s project officer, who disclosed this on Friday in Jos, said that the initiative was the NGO’s contribution toward minimising violent conflicts in the north-central state.

She spoke at a close-out meeting of the UN women programme on Women’s Engagement in Peace and Security in Northern Nigeria.

According to her, the women, who were trained between 2015 and 2018, have continued to mediate toward checking the incessant unrest and attacks in Plateau.

She said that CEPAN, which was one of the implementing partners of the UN programme on engaging women in security issues, had trained the women to engage community leaders in security issues.

“The training built their capacity to engage critical stakeholders on the need to resolve issues amicably, before they snowball into crises,” she said.

In her remarks, Mrs. Amina Ahmed, a Lead UN Women mentor, while highlighting CEPAN’s achievements, said that 2,820 women were mentored in the four pilot local governments of Jos North, Wase, Mangu and Riyom.

According to her, the campaigns focused on checking drug abuse as a strategy to foster peace in the society, while 1,641 women were trained on conflict management.

Earlier in her remarks, Mrs. Anna Izam , the Plateau Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, said that the three-year programme on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 had facilitated the engagement of 94 women into traditional councils in Plateau.

Represented by Mrs. Alice Benjamin, Director, Community Development, she said that women were usually worse hit during violent conflicts.