Actionaid Nigeria to empower 42,900 persons, expends N46.8m on projects to tackle violence in Kogi

In a bid to tackle issues of radicalism leading to extreme violence, ActionAid Nigeria has concluded plans to empower 41,900 persons in Kogi in a project to strengthen community capacities, analyse and address issues of extreme violence in the state.

Manager, Human Security in Conflict and Emergency, ActionAid Nigeria Mr. Gbenro Olajuyigbe,  gave the indication at the inaugural meeting for the project titled, “System and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism in Kogi State.’’ in Lokoja, the state capital yesterday. The programme was organised by Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID), ActionAid local rights partners in Kogi.

Representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the state Women Affairs, Youth and Sports ministries, state Emergency Management Agency, Civil Society Organisations and community stakeholders attended the meeting.

Olajuyigbe explained that the aim of the project is to set the stage for a world where justice would prevail and poverty would be minimised. He hinted that radicalisation and resort to extreme violence among the youths have been a reoccurring decimal.

He said responses to societal or environmental failures have led to development of sub-cultures to respond to the perceived failures. The target of the project, he said, is women, youths and communities, the usual victims of societal ills. He indicated that about 10,200 women in the categories of the indigent, unemployed, widows, out of school and early marriage, who felt cheated and have a grouse or two to settle with the society would be reached.

About 9,200 youths between the age of 15 and 35 who feel alienated by the society and are unemployed or forced into early marriage or out of school and 22,500 community members comprising men and women as well as youths would benefit.

He said that in reaching the community population, special attention would be paid to religious and community leaders around whom issues of indoctrination and radicalisations are often anchored.

Head, Partnership and Local Rights Programmes of ActionAid Nigeria Mrs, Suwaiba Jibrin,  also indicated that the organisation spent over N46.8 million on community initiated physical projects between 2009 and 2015.

Jibrin who disclosed this in Lokoja during the event said the projects were executed in Adavi and Igalamela-Odolu Local Council Areas of Kogi. She indicated that the amount was expended on model physical projects and human development in the areas of education, health, environment, hygiene and sanitation, advocacy skills, budget training and  public financing.

According to her, the ActionAid intervention, was coming against the background of identified development gaps caused by inequalities in allocation of resources.

Jibrin said that ActionAid was expanding its working relationship with government in building the capacity of the legislative arm of government in the area of participatory budgeting. According to her, people suffer because the resources of government are not utilised judiciously. The state Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Chafe represented by Regina Udoette (ACP) said the project was in line with the “Change Begins with Me” slogan of the Federal Government and pledged their quota to the success of the project.

Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Umar Imam represented by his Special Adviser (Media), Dr. Abdulsalam Dangana commended ActionAid for the project and urged stakeholders to sponsor bills and motions to help check criminal activities in the state.

(Guardian)