From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum (SCF) has called for the establishment of a functional secretariat for the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) to serve as a hub for quality assurance, policy influencing and Knowledge management and sharing, in order to prevent violent extremism in Nigeria.
The Consultative Forum on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Implementation in Nigeria equally called on religious, traditional and community leaders to partner with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and engage government on possible ways of addressing the insecurity bedeviling the country.
The forum made the call at a one-day meeting on Preventing and Courtering Violent Extremism (PCVE) and its Implementation in Nigeria, held recently at Rock View Hotel Royale, Wuse 2, Abuja.
The meeting which was organised by ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) alongside other partners was funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) as part of the implementation of the System and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE II) project, being implemented in Nasarawa and Kogi states.
The forum observed that human resources on the need to build capacity for PCVE implementation as well as capacity for development on counter and alternative narratives as well as published materials on PCVE and security threats for religious and community leaders to speak up against violent extremism were limited.
“These challenges include limited awareness by most religious and community leaders due to inadequate engagement. A weak synergy between government and those involved in PCVE implementation.
“There are few long term and sustained interventions so government officials may be more inclined to address projects/interventions that give immediate feedback, but long-term investment is needed for behavioural change.
“Due to inadequate mapping, engagement is limited as in some communities, community/traditional leaders are not recognised as the legitimate or rightful leaders hence, even after capacity building exercises such as Dispute Resolution Skills, the community fails to accept the various interventions. Some communities also expect quick fixes rather than the interventions posited by the government or CSOs,” the forum observed.
The stakeholders’ consultative forum also recognised the role the policy framework and National Action Plan on (PCVE) signed on 24 August, 2017 in partnering with communities and persons to promote peace but observed that there has been no official data to measure the impact of the PCVE implementation in Nigeria.
“There have been several contributions by religious leaders, community-based leaders, Academia, CSOs to engage governments, communities and build resilience. There have been several inter and intra faith dialogue roundtable discissions educating on the need for moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence, there have also been several sensitisation lectures on the dangers of violent religious extremism as well as several trainings/sensitization on the importance of PCVE, especially in areas like Adamawa, Borno, Kogi and Gombe States,” the forum noted.
The forum therefore, urged community and religious leaders to preserve the values of culture, tradition, moral and religious beliefs and be aware of their roles as highlighted in the policy framework and national action plan for PCVE in the country.
It called for the sensitisation of religious, traditional and community leaders on the importance of moderation, tolerance and peaceful co-existence and their capacity to play their respective roles aimed at building peace in their communities.
“Religious, traditional, and community leaders should identify the religious and ideological narratives and develop and convey alternatives to the narratives peddled by persons associated with VE based religious extremism with the correct religious or ideological teaching.
“Stakeholders should engage in the design of simple and advanced reference materials to clarify religious misconceptions which should be translated in different languages for ease of understanding amongst the various communities.
“Leaders can help vulnerable persons stay away from VE by employing supporting tools such as critical thinking, tolerance, and respect for diversity.Collaboration of Leaders with youth groups and with necessary government agencies such as the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with regards to the youths engaging in drugs and its abuse which can lead to youth engaging in violent extremism,” it stated.
The forum called for further collaboration between the government, CSOs and security agencies in furtherance of the policy framework.
Peace Building – Leaders are expected to use messaging skills and interviewing to foster reconciliation.
It also recommended that a ministry of religious affairs be created by government to handle religious matters and called for a larger facility for former/rehabilitated insurgents to facilitate the reintegration process and a need to strengthen the capacity of host communities among other recommendations.