Search for Common Ground and its consortium partners are making significant progress in implementing an 18-month peacebuilding initiative titled “Community Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta” across Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote peace and reduce violence through sustainable development and local empowerment in 66 communities across 33 local government areas in the three states.

In a statement issued to journalists in Asaba, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator for the EU Niger Delta project, Mr. Sunny Dada, stated that the initiative aims to strengthen community resilience, tackle economic marginalisation, and bridge infrastructural gaps that contribute to insecurity in the region.

According to Dada, a central pillar of the initiative is implementing livelihood support projects directly nominated by beneficiary communities. These projects include building cassava and palm oil processing mills, solar-powered boreholes, markets, lock-up shops, and solar-powered toilets. Additionally, fishing nets and other essential tools are being distributed to support local enterprises.

“These are not just projects handed down from above,” Dada said. “They are community-led solutions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and directly respond to local needs.”

Beyond physical infrastructure, the programme also prioritises human capital development. Dozens of youths and women are currently undergoing skill-based training in various vocations, including fashion design, information and communications technology (ICT), pipeline welding, and fabrication.

The aim is to equip residents with employable skills that reduce vulnerability to violence and crime.

In many of the participating communities, groundbreaking ceremonies have already taken place, while work on several infrastructure projects is nearing completion.

Community leaders and residents have praised the intervention, describing it as a timely effort to not only enhance economic well-being but also foster unity and lasting peace.

The initiative highlights a coordinated and inclusive approach by Search for Common Ground and its partners to tackle the root causes of insecurity in the Niger Delta through sustainable development, community engagement, and local ownership.