Events
Stakeholders Develop Early Warning, Response Strategy for Plateau State
Jos, Plateau State, March 18, 2025 – A two-day State-Level Stakeholders Consultation aimed at developing an Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) strategy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Plateau State has been convened. The event was organized by the Plateau State Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) in collaboration with the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA) under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) initiative.
The SPRING initiative, a four-year program funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and managed by Tetra Tech International Development, seeks to foster stability and peace in Nigeria by addressing conflict, security, justice, and natural resource management challenges. The consultation, held at Novel Suites in Jos, brought together key stakeholders, including security agencies, government institutions, civil society organizations, and community representatives.
Day One: Setting the Stage for an Effective EWER System
In his opening remarks, Dr. Chris Agoha, Country Director of HD, emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to conflict prevention.
“At its core, early warning and early response systems are intended to identify and analyze conflict trends, alert to conflict risks, inform decision-making, and initiate timely responses to prevent violent conflict,” he stated.
Goodwill messages were delivered by various representatives, including the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), and the Plateau State Ministry of Women Affairs. Mr. Nantip Joseph, representing PPBA, lauded the HD platform’s contributions to peacebuilding in the state. “Peace cannot be achieved by one body alone. Having all stakeholders dedicate their resources and time to this process is a commendable step towards sustainable solutions,” he said.
Panel discussions on the first day addressed inter-agency coordination and collaboration. Key insights included the need for sustained community engagement, improved information sharing between security agencies, and the adoption of technology in monitoring early warning signals. Other discussions focused on promoting community engagement and ownership of peace efforts, emphasizing the role of traditional institutions, NGOs, and local leaders in sustaining peace initiatives.
Day Two: Resource Mobilization and Policy Frameworks
The second day featured panel discussions on resource mobilization for the full implementation of the Plateau EWER strategy and SOPs. The session was chaired by representatives from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), GIZ, the private sector, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and the Plateau State House of Assembly’s Appropriation Committee.
Discussions emphasized the importance of identifying local funding sources rather than solely relying on foreign donors. Suggestions included utilizing residential taxes, private sector partnerships, and contributions from religious organizations. Participants also stressed the need for technology-driven solutions to enhance communication and monitoring efforts.
Another critical discussion focused on policy frameworks and legislation, led by the Plateau State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Plateau Youth Council (PYC). The panel identified gaps in existing policies and proposed the integration of EWER strategies into state laws to ensure sustainability.
Hon. Nambo Lipstick, representing Langtang North Central in the Plateau State House of Assembly, emphasized the need to reinforce moral values as part of EWER strategies. “While it is essential to address the issue of properly assigning punishment, it is time we focus on moral values as a means of early warning and response. This will ensure that crime and crisis situations are prevented in the first place,” he stated.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Stakeholders identified major challenges and proposed solutions to enhance the Plateau EWER system.
Challenges Identified:
- Early warning systems should expand beyond security concerns to include climate change and socio-economic factors.
- Weak coordination among security agencies.
- Limited government support for peacebuilding efforts.
- Low awareness and engagement from community members.
- Socio-cultural barriers and patriarchal norms limiting women’s participation.
- Insufficient training and capacity-building initiatives.
Recommendations:
- Strengthen collaboration and clearly define roles among security agencies and stakeholders.
- Ensure proper monitoring and assessment of implemented strategies.
- Uphold human rights principles in early warning responses.
- Conduct regular community meetings to enhance local involvement.
- Promote volunteerism in peacebuilding initiatives.
- Leverage existing community structures such as traditional rulers, women’s groups, and youth networks.
- Utilize technology for improved early warning monitoring and data sharing.
- Address drug abuse and work toward poverty eradication as preventive measures against conflicts.
At the close of the consultation, Dr. Agoha noted that stakeholders would reconvene on March 25, 2025, to validate the strategy and SOP documents developed from the consultations.
The Plateau State EWER Strategy is expected to serve as a critical framework for conflict prevention and response, fostering sustainable peace in the state and setting a precedent for other regions in Nigeria.
Lingzhi Global Nigeria Ltd. has announced plans to hold the second edition of the Coffee Festival International Nigeria in Calabar, Cross River State, from October 30 to November 1, 2026, as part of efforts to promote coffee production and expand opportunities across the value chain.
The festival, organised in collaboration with the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, NACOFTAN, will be held under the theme, “Coffee Sustainability and Empowerment: Focusing on Women and Youth Development,” with emphasis on skills development, community development and job creation.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lingzhi Global, Mrs. Blessing Nanman, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, saying the event would bring together coffee stakeholders, investors and international participants to explore opportunities in farming, processing, packaging, marketing and export.
“Farmers have gone to work. Some processors are already at the verge of breaking through. This is the time where we want to invite all investors, partners and international organisations to support us in the coffee industry,” Nanman said.
She said the maiden edition attracted participants from different countries, while the 2026 festival is expected to draw representatives from about 30 countries. According to her, the event would further define opportunities within the coffee value chain and encourage local consumption of coffee.
Nanman said Lingzhi Global was also expanding its coffee business through the establishment of coffee shops, noting that the outlets had become platforms where communities, families and people from different backgrounds could connect over coffee.
She said Cross River was selected to host the second edition because of its potential for coffee production and the state government’s efforts to expand cultivation through the distribution of millions of coffee seedlings.
Speaking on the forthcoming festival, Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, commended Lingzhi Global for its role in promoting coffee and tea development in the state and for working with stakeholders to strengthen the sector.
He said the company had contributed efforts to improve farmers’ access to seedlings, knowledge and markets, describing its partnership with the state as important to the development of the coffee value chain.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Lingzhi Global, organisers of the International Coffee Festival, and NACOFTAN,” Ebokpo said.
The commissioner said the festival would give Cross River greater visibility as a coffee-producing destination while creating opportunities for women and young people to participate in the industry.
“This is also an opportunity for us to use the festival as a platform to create jobs for our people, particularly women and youths, while providing them with opportunities to learn more and develop their skills,” he said.
Ebokpo said the coffee industry extends beyond farming to processing, packaging and export, stressing that young people could create businesses and develop their own brands by participating in different stages of the value chain.
He said Cross River has about 23,000 square kilometres of arable land suitable for coffee development and has the agro-ecological advantage of producing both Arabica and Robusta varieties. He added that the state plans to distribute at least 30 million coffee seedlings over five years.
President of NACOFTAN, Dr. Hassan Usman, said the festival would provide an opportunity for Nigerian stakeholders to exchange knowledge and technology with international players in the coffee industry.
“The Coffee Festival is not only Nigerian in inclusion, but international. We have people coming from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya and all the countries. The globe will be around with us,” Usman said.
Usman also commended Lingzhi Global for taking stakeholders across the country and beyond to gain knowledge in coffee processing and marketing, saying the company had played a critical role in connecting Nigerian stakeholders with international opportunities.
He said stakeholders would use the gathering to strategise on strengthening the coffee value chain and changing the narrative around coffee production in Nigeria, while calling for greater participation from government agencies, investors and other stakeholders.
The 2026 Coffee Festival International Nigeria is expected to bring together farmers, processors, roasters, investors, experts and other stakeholders from Nigeria and abroad for three days of knowledge-sharing, networking and promotion of the coffee industry.
The streets of Jos echoed with a simple message on Saturday: peace is everyone’s responsibility.
As part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of Peace, the Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative (WOPPI) joined other peace organisations for a peace walk from Old Airport Junction to Secretariat Junction Bridge.
Holding placards calling for unity, dialogue and peaceful coexistence, participants took the message of peace to the streets and into the public space.
This year’s International Day of Peace, observed on September 21, is themed “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.” The United Nations says the theme highlights the role of ordinary people as “everyday architects of peace.” (United Nations Peacekeeping)
For WOPPI Executive Director, Lantana Abdullah, the message is particularly important for Plateau, a state with a history of violent conflicts.
She said peace cannot be left to government or security agencies alone. Every citizen, she stressed, has a role to play.
“Every citizen residing in Plateau or beyond Plateau or in Nigeria must play their part in making sure we sustain and build enduring peace for everyone.”
Abdullah urged citizens to choose dialogue over confrontation, report responsibly and speak up when they see issues capable of threatening peace.
She also challenged negative narratives about Plateau, pointing out that people continue to live, work and build their livelihoods across the state despite its troubled past.
For WOPPI, women must also be at the centre of this process. The organisation works to strengthen women’s voices, train them as mediators and involve them in preventing and resolving conflicts within their communities.
The walk therefore carried more than placards. It carried a reminder: peace is not something people wait for others to create. It is something communities build—one conversation, one intervention and one peaceful choice at a time.
And in the words of this year’s global message, that investment must happen for everyone, everywhere, every day. (United Nations)
-
News4 days agoMTN, Gates Foundation drive $25m AI digital health plan in Nigeria – Technology Times
-
Health4 days ago
Drug-resistant bacterial infections kill one million people annually – WHO
-
News3 days agoTroops rescue 15 kidnap victims, nab two suspects in nationwide operations
-
Business3 days ago
Nigeria’s business activity expands as household confidence weakens
