The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has trained 90 young people on conflict prevention, early warning systems, and grassroots peacebuilding.

The two-day 2025 Niger Delta Peace Champions Workshop, held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, brought together youths from the nine Niger Delta states to equip them with practical skills for promoting peace and stability in their communities.

In his remarks, PIND’s Acting Executive Director, Effiong Essien, described young people as catalysts for peace, emphasizing the transformative potential of youth-led initiatives. He praised Akwa Ibom for being a model of peaceful coexistence and community development.

“This workshop underscores PIND’s commitment to fostering youth-led, data-driven, and community-based peacebuilding across the Niger Delta,” Essien said. “By investing in human capital and promoting inter-community collaboration, we strengthen local resilience and support sustainable development.”

David Udofia, Peacebuilding Programme Manager at PIND, said the trained participants—known as peace champions—have been empowered to return home as agents of transformation.

“Peacebuilding starts with preparation, vision, and collaboration. These champions are returning with new skills and a renewed commitment to reshape their environments,” he stated.

Aged between 18 and 35, the peace champions were trained on PIND’s SMS-based Conflict Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system, which enables real-time conflict monitoring and grassroots interventions.

The workshop also featured sessions on mindset transformation, conflict analysis and management, leadership, volunteerism, and entrepreneurship.

Facilitators included Nwamara Amadikwa, CEO of Amy6015 Global Enterprise, alongside PIND’s peacebuilding experts Afeno Odomovo, Chukwudi Njoku, and Abiodun Akanbi.

Participants described the training as impactful, noting that it will help promote peace, reduce violence, and foster sustainable development in the region.