Niger State has emerged first in terms of sustainability and resource availability among states where the State Peace Architecture (SPA) has been established. This is according to a maturity index conducted by Search for Common Ground across three of the five participating states — Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara.
The disclosure was made by Remicat Ayuba, Project Manager of the Niger-Benin Border Peace Initiative, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Minna focused on developing long-term sustainability strategies for the initiative.
Ayuba explained that the SPA platform, launched in November last year by Search for Common Ground, brings together diverse stakeholders, including community and religious leaders, youth and women representatives, persons with disabilities, civil society organizations, government officials, the National Human Rights Commission, and security agencies.
> “The platform was designed to fuel monthly conversations around emerging security threats in the state and to find practical solutions to them,” she said.
Highlighting the index results, she added:
> “In governance and structure, Niger came third among the states. But when it comes to sustainability and resource availability, Niger State ranked first — and this is very key.”
Also speaking, Diamond Preye Tobechukwu, Chairperson of Niger SPA and Director at the Abdulsalami Abubakar Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development Studies, said the initiative has given the state the opportunity to explore the dynamics of conflict and train people in conflict resolution techniques.
> “We’ve conducted step-down trainings that have empowered both SPA members and other relevant stakeholders to resolve conflicts at various levels,” Preye stated.
“Going forward, we need to continuously engage all stakeholders. Youth restiveness remains one of the major security concerns in Niger, and we’ve also begun engaging youths directly to address and mitigate this issue.”
In his remarks, the Niger State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Maurice Bello Magaji, applauded the SPA initiative, calling it both strategic and timely.
> “The initiative has come at a time when the policy direction of the current administration is focused on agriculture, which requires proper land provision for cultivation and business,” he said.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of several sustainability plans, with stakeholders expressing optimism that other states can learn from Niger’s success in advancing peace-building infrastructure.
