ABUJA, Nigeria – Mediaage NG News – In response to conflicts between communities, farmers and pastoralists, caused by the competition over natural resources, the ACReSAL project has undertaken a strategic initiative to foster peaceful co-existence through increased vegetative cover and sustainable natural resource management.
These conflicts are longstanding challenges peculiar to Northern Nigeria.
The recent wrap-up session of the project implementation support mission in Abuja, marked a significant milestone for the project, where emphasis was placed on the crucial inclusion of pastoralists in the peace building committee.
In line with the project’s subcomponent B1, known as Community Strengthening, aims to bolster capacities for local communities to enhance sustainable natural resource use and management.
Central to this approach is the promotion of peace and understanding through inclusive engagement with pastoralists, fostering a sense of ownership and belonging within the project’s integrated catchment management area.
In consonance with these efforts, local project implementation committees are set to receive support aimed at enhancing social cohesion and conflict resolution capacities at the grassroots level.
Notably, a key emphasis lies on gender-inclusive initiatives to empower women within participating communities, providing them with a platform for active participation in the project’s activities.
The mission also underscored the importance of culturally sensitive community engagement, recognizing the value of local customs, languages, and traditional practices in addressing community challenges, getting community buy-in and trust.
By leveraging local institutions and solutions, the project aims to build inclusive committees and institutions that are essential for sustainable peace building and ensuring the project’s long-term success, impact and sustainability.
Through a multifaceted approach that integrates natural resource management, community engagement and empowerment, gender-inclusive strategies, the ACReSAL project is poised to make a meaningful contribution to peaceful co-existence in Northern Nigeria, marking a significant step towards addressing the root causes of conflict in the region.