The National Coordinator of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Bridget Osakwe, has said governments at various levels and stakeholders must embark on robust peace building activities in order to curb insecurity and violence in the country in 2023.
Speaking at an interactive session, the peace and conflicts resolution expert explained that the incessant kidnappings, robberies, killings, prevalent in across Nigeria is a wakeup call to the government that more resources must be channeled into addressing the basic needs of the citizens.
She reiterated the urgent need for the domestication of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1325) in all the states of the federation affirming that the document provides the foundation for achieving peace in any society.
She bemoaned the slow pace of the implementation of the UNSCR document and lamented that out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, only 17 states have domesticated the UNSCR 1325 and validated their State Action Plan (SAP).
According to Chief Bridget, “The UNSCR 1325 promotes the inclusion of women in decision making as regards women, peace, and security (WPS).
“In 2018, to promote the inclusion of women in peacebuilding processes at community level, WANEP- Nigeria with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) began the project tagged ‘Enhancing Participation of Women in Peace and Human Security in Nigeria’.
The project aimed to strengthen women’s social networking capacities towards effective participation in formal peace processes in three states in the Niger Delta (Edo, Delta, and Rivers States) and to promote women’s participation in countering violent extremism to advance the implementation of Nigeria National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325 at the local level in three States in North East, Nigeria – Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states,” she stated.
