Events
“Conflict Prevention Is Always Less Costly Than Crisis Management” – Dr. Agoha Urges Action on Early Warning System
Stakeholders from across Plateau State have validated a strategic framework aimed at strengthening Early Warning Early Response (EWER) systems to prevent violent conflicts.
Speaking at the Validation Workshop for the EWER Strategy and Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), Dr. Chris Agoha, Country Manager of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), emphasized the cost-effectiveness of conflict prevention compared to crisis management.
“Conflict prevention is always less costly than dealing with a crisis in terms of human life, destruction, and instability in neighbouring countries. Early warning and early response systems are vital for conflict prevention, ensuring timely interventions that keep civilians safe and foster sustainable development,” he added.
The workshop, organized by HD and SPRiNG in collaboration with the UK International Development, convened representatives from government ministries, security agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), traditional rulers, the media, market women associations, and other key stakeholders to finalize a structured approach for conflict detection and response in Plateau State.
The SPRiNG Team Lead, represented by the Regional Manager, Dr. Okoha, emphasized the necessity of sustained peacebuilding initiatives.
“Peacebuilding is a continuous process. For peace to be sustainable, an effective EWER system is of paramount importance. I believe the documents generated from this stakeholders’ workshop will be actionable, ensuring both conflict prevention and timely responses to early warning signs,” he stated, acknowledging stakeholders and partners for their dedication.
During the workshop, a draft EWER document was presented, outlining crucial areas such as historical conflict trends, root causes of conflicts, response strategies, implementation frameworks and expected outcomes. Participants conducted a SWOT and Force Field Analysis, revealing key weaknesses in the current system, including:
-
Poor inter-agency coordination and collaboration
- Limited community engagement and ownership
- Weak policy frameworks and inadequate legislation
- Insufficient funding for EWER initiatives
- Environmental degradation and geographical constraints
However, key driving forces that support peacebuilding efforts were also identified:
- Strong civil society engagement
- Volunteerism and grassroots participation
- Historical conflict experiences that inform preventive strategies
- Perceived injustices and the need for resolution
- Intergenerational knowledge-sharing on conflict prevention
To bridge these gaps, stakeholders recommended several key strategies, including:
- Decentralizing EWER systems to local government levels
- Strengthening EWER capacity through human resource training, technology adoption, and community sensitization
- Enhancing intelligence-sharing and coordination mechanisms
- Continuous monitoring and evaluation of EWER interventions
- Developing innovative financing strategies for sustainability
Speaking at the event, Kaneng Tabitha Pam, Plateau State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), underscored the importance of ensuring grassroots communities understand the EWER system and its benefits.
“This initiative mostly concerns individuals at the grassroots, and their understanding of the process and end goal is of utmost importance to aid implementation. That is why, for our agency, this is a done deal. We must take actionable steps to step down the information to them—those at the grassroots and local communities,” she stated.
She further emphasized that the NOA would leverage local dialects and community-based sensitization methods.
“This will be done in their local dialect using foot soldiers—our staff who are familiar with the communities and their peculiarities. Of course, we will collaborate with other agencies and organizations, as we can’t work alone in the sensitization process.”
For the EWER system to be effective and sustainable, stakeholders stressed the need for:
- Strong political will and commitment from the government and policymakers
- Adequate resource allocation for operational efficiency
- Effective inter-agency collaboration to prevent duplication of efforts
- Community ownership and participation in EWER initiatives
- Continuous learning, adaptation, and transparency in governance
As Plateau State moves forward with this strategy, stakeholders reaffirm that the success of the EWER system hinges on sustained commitment, collaboration, and the political will to act before conflicts escalate.
The Young Leaders Network (YLN) has called for stronger citizen participation in the budget and development planning process in Plateau State, urging communities to clearly identify, document and communicate their priority needs to government.
The call was made on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, during a stakeholders’ roundtable on strengthening the integration of Community Charters of Demands (CCDs) into planning and budgeting in the state.
The engagement, organised by YLN with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was aimed at promoting greater citizen participation in the state budget process and ensuring that community priorities are reflected in government plans and budgets.
Speaking at the event, Plateau State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Ishaku Maren, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to incorporating citizens’ needs into the budgeting process.
Maren disclosed that the state had already commenced consultations ahead of the 2027 budget, with community leaders being engaged to identify and communicate the needs of their communities.
“The first thing we start with is citizens’ engagement. There is a point in time where citizens, most especially community leaders, will be invited to interact with us so that we get to know their felt needs,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the integration of Community Charters of Demands would promote ownership, accountability and informed decision-making in the allocation of public resources.
Also speaking, YLN Executive Director, Seun Onarinde, said the roundtable was designed to equip citizens with the knowledge and tools required to effectively present their priorities to government at both state and local government levels.
Onarinde advised communities to identify their three most pressing development needs, document them through Community Charters of Demands and submit them to the relevant government agencies.
“It ensures that government is able to budget for the needs of the communities and able to meet those needs,” he said.
He noted that YLN had continued to promote citizen participation through initiatives including citizens’ budgets, the MyGovWatch platform and joint monitoring missions.
Onarinde urged citizens not to withdraw from the civic space, stressing that sustained engagement was necessary to make the budget process more open and responsive.
“The more we engage, the more the budget process becomes open. So I will not encourage citizens to pull back but rather to engage further so that the civic space can open up for engagement,” he added.
The OGP Secretariat in Abuja, represented by Uche Arisuku, also highlighted practical entry points for integrating Community Charters of Demands into state and local government development planning, sectoral planning, budget preparation, public consultations and implementation monitoring.
Arisuku stressed the importance of creating effective links between community priorities and government planning processes to ensure that citizens’ demands translate into measurable development outcomes.
The District Head of Nabor Gwong, Bala Haruna, commended YLN and its partners for organising the engagement, describing citizen participation as critical to achieving responsive and accountable governance.
The roundtable ended with stakeholders resolving to strengthen citizens’ engagement in the budget process and promote the wider adoption of Community Charters of Demands as a tool for ensuring that government plans and budgets reflect the actual needs of communities across Plateau State.
Related
Events
Nigeria’s Christian Leaders to Unite in Abuja for First Lausanne Congress in Over 10 Years (Register Now)
The Lausanne Nigeria Christian Missions has announced plans to convene about 5,000 church leaders, missionaries, theological educators, young Christian leaders and marketplace professionals at the first national Lausanne gathering in Nigeria in more than a decade.
The Lausanne Nigeria Congress 2026 is scheduled to hold from October 27 to 30 at the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, under the theme, “Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together.”
According to the organisers, registration for the four-day congress is now open, with delegates expected from major Christian denominations and all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
The congress represents Nigeria’s national expression of the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation, which brought together more than 5,000 Christian leaders from over 200 countries in Incheon, South Korea, in September 2024.
The organisers said the Abuja gathering would provide a platform for church leaders and mission practitioners to strengthen collaboration and develop strategies for advancing Christian mission in Nigeria and beyond.
The four-day programme will feature plenary teaching, issue network deliberations, intercessory prayer, intergenerational dialogue and a public commissioning.
Discussions will focus on a range of issues, including frontier missions and unreached peoples, theological education, faith in the public square, business as mission, media and digital innovation, diaspora and migration, as well as student and youth ministry.
Speaking on the significance of the congress, National Chairman of Lausanne Nigeria and General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Dr. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu Jnr, described Nigeria as both a mission field and an emerging mission force.
“Nigeria is no longer merely a mission field. She is a mission force. More than fifteen thousand Nigerian missionaries are already serving in over fifty countries, while within our own borders more than forty peoples still wait for the gospel,” he said.
Nmadu stressed that the congress was designed to bring together the wider Nigerian Church rather than a select group of Christian leaders.
“This Congress is not for a select few. It is for the whole Church, the whole gospel, the whole world,” he added.
Also speaking, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Lausanne Nigeria Christian Missions, Most Rev. Dr. Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, called for greater unity and collaboration among Christian denominations, mission agencies and generations of leaders.
“For too long we have laboured in parallel. Denominations building alone. Agencies running alone. Generations praying alone. This is our God-given moment to come together as one body, one gospel and one mission force for the nations,” Ndukuba said.
The Lausanne Movement traces its roots to the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland, convened by renowned evangelist Billy Graham.
The gathering brought together about 2,400 Christian leaders from 150 nations and resulted in the Lausanne Covenant, which was drafted under the chairmanship of British theologian and pastor John R. W. Stott.
The organisers said the partnership between Graham and Stott helped shape the global mission movement for decades, with subsequent milestones including the Manila Manifesto of 1989, the Cape Town Commitment of 2010 and the Seoul Statement of 2024.
The Lausanne Nigeria Congress follows a series of activities aimed at strengthening collaboration among Nigerian church, mission and marketplace leaders.
In March 2026, Lausanne Nigeria hosted the Global Executive Director of the Lausanne Movement, Dr. Michael Oh, in Abuja for a Global Mission Conversation focused on strategic collaboration for global impact.
The October congress is expected to build on that engagement by bringing the conversation to a wider national platform.
Registration Opens
Delegate registration for the congress is currently open and will close on September 30, 2026.
Nigerian delegates are required to pay ₦50,000, while international delegates will pay US$200.
The organisers said group registration is available for denominations, mission agencies, seminaries and professional fellowships sending multiple delegates.
They also announced that sponsorship opportunities are available to support participation by frontier missionaries, younger leaders and delegates from under-resourced regions.
Institutions interested in deeper involvement can also apply to serve as Hosting Organisations for the congress.
Further information and registration details are available through the Lausanne Nigeria platform.
The Lausanne Nigeria Christian Missions said it is the national expression of the global Lausanne Movement in Nigeria and operates as a registered Incorporated Trustee based in Abuja.
Its Board of Trustees is chaired by Most Rev. Dr. Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, while Rev. Dr. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu Jnr chairs the National Leadership. Dr. Joshua Utele chairs the Central Planning Committee for the 2026 congress.
The global Lausanne Movement is a fellowship of Christian leaders committed to advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ in every nation and sphere of society. It is led by Global Executive Director, Dr. Michael Oh.
For Enquiry call: +234 803 960 8804 or +234 803 973 2643.
-
News2 days agoHackers are stealing Claude tokens from subscribers
-
Business2 days ago
Tinubu urges banks to turn recapitalisation into jobs, production
-
News4 days ago
Govt steps up data protection scrutiny across e-commerce sector
-
Health2 days ago
Health leaders to tackle Nigeria’s policy implementation gap at October conference
