Nigeria, US sets up conflicts early warning situation room

Nigeria and the United States government have set up a digitised Conflicts Early Warning Situation Room (EWSR) for early conflict resolution before they escalate.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has said that the project, a peacebuilding strategy developed by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), would fast-track the realisation of the Federal Government’s eight priority targets.

He stated this at the National Stakeholders Engagement and Launch of Conflicts Early Warning Situation Room (EWSR) by the IPCR and the Peace Action for Rapid Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER), consisting of Mercy Corps Nigeria, the West African Network for Peacebuilding and others supported by USAID, yesterday in Abuja.

He said, “The Situation Room will receive, verify and dispatch conflict reports to appropriate response agencies; the Early Warning Monitoring and Reporting Groups (EWMRG), comprising security and non-security personnel.”

Represented by his Special Adviser, Media, AbdulKadir Alkasim, the minister pointed out that the EWMRG is an innovative strategy by the IPCR to deepen non-kinetic response options, promoting community cohesion and local solutions to peacebuilding efforts.

He said, “This initiative aligns with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight priority areas: boosting agriculture and food security, unlocking energy and natural resources, enhancing infrastructure in transport, improving education, health and social investment, and strengthening democracy and demography.”

Director General of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, said that the EWSR is a digitised facility that enables stakeholders to nip elements of conflicts in the bud before snowballing into conflicts.

“As a federal government agency responsible for promoting peace in Nigeria, the IPCR has partnered with a consortium led by Mercy Corps Nigeria, supported by the West African Network for Peacebuilding and others. This consortium, known as sponsored by USAID, began the project implementation I’m February 2022, starting with Plateau and Kaduna states.

“Through conflicts and stakeholder mapping, the establishment of the community-based peace structures and the inauguration of early warning, monitoring and reporting groups, the Community Based Reconciliation Committee (CBRC), and Gender Focal Persons (GFP), we have equipped communities with the necessary skills to monitor and report conflicts,” he said.

He noted that the initiative has deepened local ownership of the project and reduced conflicts among herders and farmers in the nine states under the implementation, thereby boosting good security among others.

Director of Peace and Development, USAID Nigeria, Angela Martin, said that the US was very intentional in choosing to support the project because it is interred in building conflict resilience and strengthening institutions of government in the area of peace and conflict resolution.

She said, “Peace is a prerequisite to development and prosperity. This is why aid practitioners today underscore the important nexus between peace and development, which brings all different pieces together to support the symbolic relationship between them.”

Director of Presidential Communications Command and Control, Rear Admiral Robert Obande-Obeya, office of the National Security Adviser, said, “The Conflict Early Warning Situation Room is vital in predicting, preventing and mitigating conflicts by leveraging technology, community engagement and data-driven insights. that will assist in identifying potential flashpoints and taking proactive measures, enhance coordination among stakeholders including government agencies, civil society and local communities, foster inclusive dialogue and reconciliation, as well as protect vulnerable populations, especially women, children and marginalised groups. ”

He was represented by the Deputy Director of Crisis and Peace, NSA, Sunday Ogar

Country Director Mercy Corps, Ndubisi Anyawu, noted the launch of the situation room. Is a testament to the importance of partnership between the states and other local and international entities for goal realisation and nation-building, especially with regard to peacebuilding.