Katsina – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU), as well as partners including Mercy Corps and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) have reaffirmed their commitment to support peace and reconciliation in Katsina state, in Northwestern Nigeria, where insecurity linked with banditry and adverse effects of climate change have resulted in displacement.  

This was made clear during a recently concluded Extended Steering Committee meeting held on 27 June 2024 in Katsina, which brought together representatives from the Federal and State Governments, as well as civil society, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups from 4 Local Government Areas. 

“Peace and reconciliation are essential for the development of Katsina State, and we are grateful to all our partners supporting us in this endeavor”, said Professor Ahmed Bakori Mohammed, the Honorable Commissioner for Katsina State Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development during the meeting. 

Since January 2023, IOM, Mercy Corps and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) are jointly implementing a programme to support community mediation and reconciliation in Katsina State. The programme, which is supported by the European Union Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (EU FPI) aims to reduce community violence, promote locally driven peace initiatives, and mitigate conflicts over natural resources in Katsina State of Northwest Nigeria.  

The project has reached more than 30,000 direct beneficiaries and over 300,000 people  indirect beneficiaries including local community members and leaders, through various activities, such as dialogue and mediation, capacity building, community infrastructure rehabilitation, and income-generating support. 

During the meeting, the participants praised the project’s innovative approaches, including the integration of community-based early warning systems to limit the escalation of tensions, as well as the mainstreaming of mental health and psychosocial interventions to help survivors of kidnappings overcome their traumatic experiences. The ongoing implementation of quick impact projects will promote the social cohesion and coexistence between communities.  

The programme has notably vulgarized the concept of interest-based negotiation among rural communities to foster mutually acceptable outcomes when tensions arise in communities. 

“Through accurate data and innovative peacebuilding approaches, local actors are now able to act on time to prevent the escalation of conflicts and support locally driven conflict resolution methods”, said Laurent de Boeck, IOM Nigeria’s Chief of Mission.   

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For more information, please contact Francois-Xavier Ada, Public Information Officer. Email: fadaaffana@iom.int.