The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), in collaboration with other stakeholders, has launched an Early Warning Situation Room in Nigeria.
In his welcome remarks during the event, the Director General of IPCR, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, highlighted the crucial role of the Institute and other peace-building stakeholders in preventing conflicts and sustaining peace in the country.
He attributed the progress in the conflict early warning response system to the “progress results from the robust collaboration between international and national agencies, sub-national government bodies, NGOs, local actors, and community groups, all united in our commitment to effective conflict prevention, social cohesion, and sustainable peace in Nigeria.”
Explaining how the success story of IPCR was made possible, Dr. Ochogwu said, “as the federal agency responsible for promoting peace in Nigeria, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has partnered with a consortium led by Mercy Corps Nigeria, supported by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Kaduna State Peace Commission (KSPC), and Plateau Peacebuilding Agency (PPBA). This consortium, known as Peace Action for Rapid and Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER), sponsored by USAID, began its implementation in February 2022 across nine selected states, starting with Plateau and Kaduna.
“Through conflict and stakeholder mapping, the establishment of community-based peace structures, and the inauguration of Early Warning Monitoring and Reporting Groups (EWMRG), Community-Based Reconciliation Comnmittees (CBRC), and Gender Focal Persons (GFP), we have equipped communities with the necessary skills to monitor and report conflict indicators.”
The Director General further explained how the initiative has deepened local ownership and participation, increased community participantion, improved farmer-herder relations, enhanced collaboration, deepened non-kinetic responses and also enhanced human and food security.
USAID’s Mission Director to Nigeria, Melissa Jones, noted how responses to incidents have been seen as quickly as 20 minutes from distress calls, adding, “this rapid response capability is unprecedented and is already saving lives.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Mercy Corps Country Director, Ndubisi Anyanwu said, “the establishment of Nigeria’s Conflict Early Warning Situation Room represents a milestone in the country’s journey toward peace.”
He added that “with robust partnerships, community engagement, and technological advancements, it offers a promising pathway to mitigate violence and ensure a more peaceful future.”
