CSOs urge North East Commission to create liaison desk to improve synergy

The Northeast Civil Society Network has endorsed the management of the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) and urged them to appoint a civil society liaison desk to improve coordination and synergy.

The forum also called on the federal government to take leadership role in the coordination, funding and support for humanitarian and development need in the region, given shrinking fund and donor fatigue by the humanitarian community working in the Northeast,

The Network gave the recommendation at the end of a retreat and send forth session in honour of the outgoing United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Scmale.

The Chairman, North East Civil Society Network Ambassador, Ahmed Shehu stated that the objectives of the retreat was to provide enabling environment for the CSO leadership across the North-East to reflect and establish bond and plan strategically for the future.

While reading out the communique issued at the end of the retreat, they acknowledged that military operations in the region have resulted in improving security situation and access to some communities, and harped on the need to regularly review perimeter restrictions in areas of returns so as to create an enabling environment for the affected population in pursuit of livelihoods and building resilience

The Network also stressed the need to ensure that the processes of de-radicalization, disarmament and reintegration to be inclusive, with more emphasis on healing and empowerment of the victims, saying that there was need for deliberate attempt to win the hearts and mind of the citizen to build trust and confidence.

The y further called on the North East Governors Forum to develop a regional peace, stabilization and development strategy to approach peculiar challenges within the region.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, in his remarks, stated that localization remained key in their work around the globe as well as Nigeria, saying that following their increased constructive engagement, the humanitarian community decided to increase slots of local non-governmental organization on the Northeast.

He mentioned that lone of the reasons localization was key to their work was delivery “because local NGOs understand the context than most of them coming from outside.

He added that for them to deliver relevant actions to the North East as well as Nigeria generally, local organization was critical to reaching more people.

He said the UN system would continue to work through the local network to get to the people as well as the government