OSPRE, peacebuilding experts embrace multifaceted strategies to strengthen early warning, response systems
The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) in collaboration with the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ GmbH) ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) project yesterday kicked off a three-day subnational stakeholder event for early warning, early response and peacebuilding professionals in Calabar, Cross River State. The event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders under the aegis of the Consortium for Conflict Resolution and Development (CONCORD).
OSPRE also known as the National Early Warning Centre of Nigeria works with state actors and civil society to enhance the preparedness of institutions and communities and build their resilience to threats to human security. The Consortium for Conflict Resolution and Development, the CONCORD Initiative, is OSPRE’s flagship peacebuilding programme. The initiative was inaugurated in Abuja, in December 2022.
The Director General of OSPRE, Chris Ngwodo briefed the participating experts on its efforts since its inception in June 2022 to strengthen linkages between national, regional, and local authorities as well as non-state actors in early warning, early response and peacebuilding. He said that CONCORD seeks to create synergies between all relevant stakeholders and stressed the need to be conscious of the nexus between security, peace and development.
The programme features training sessions and deliberations with participants from security agencies, the National Boundary Commission, National Orientation Agency, representatives from civil society organisations and observers keenly invested in peacebuilding in Nigeria.
One of the key partners, the Ubuntu Centre of Africa Peacebuilding and Development (UCAP), led by renowned conflict and mediation expert Professor Oshita Oshita delivered a brief on the Cross River & Akwa Ibom security environments. He recommended the establishment of community Early warning and early response (CEWER) systems to identify and proactively address conflict signals acorss the states. Prof Oshita also called for a study of the dynamics of the relationship of host communities, IDPs, Refugees and farmers-herders conflicts in the two states.
