The delegation of the EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS, in a statement, said three new measures (EUR 36.1 million) had been adopted to strengthen the resilience of the people, find the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons, prevent conflict and promote stability.
The EU mentioned that one of the measures which would be implemented in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa amongst others was “linking relief, rehabilitation and development, and promoting the stability and security of communities in north-east Nigeria,” while the overall objective of the measure is to promote stability and resilience among people affected by conflict and displacement in north-east Nigeria.
Having mentioned the above, the programme will help improve access to basic services for vulnerable people affected by displacements, boost socioeconomic recovery and ensure sustainable livelihoods for displaced persons, host communities and returnees. It will also focus on the needs of young people to reduce the risk of crime and improve conflict mediation.
The EU said the second measure is investing in the safety and integrity of Nigerian girls, improve the protection, access to informal education and economic empowerment of 12,000 teenagers through a community approach.
The delegation also stated that the measure is based on an existing network of community committees, women’s groups and trainers in north-east Nigeria, in addition to young girls.
“The programme will target 5,000 teenage boys through activities to improve their means of subsistence while enhancing their awareness of the added value of gender equality and healthy masculinity”.
According to it, the third measure “to combat organised crime, trafficking and terrorism in the zone is “improving conflict management capacity at State and community level in north-east Nigeria” has an overall objective which is to build a conflict management capacities at State and community levels in order to combat radicalism and stop conflict from escalating into violence.
“More specifically, the project will focus on: strengthening conflict management mechanisms at community level, and promoting reconciliation and stability;
“Supporting women’s participation in the peace-building process and taking into account the impact of violence against women and young girls” is also the focus of the programme, according to EU
