At least 100 community stakeholders from eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina State are being equipped with practical skills to prevent conflicts, manage disputes and address competition over community resources under a European Union-funded peacebuilding programme.
The five-day refresher exercise, held from August 31 to September 4, 2026, is being organised under the Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with Mercy Corps and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
The programme covers 48 communities across 10 LGAs in Katsina and Zamfara states, while the Katsina component focuses on eight LGAs — Batsari, Danmusa, Jibia, Kankara, Dandume, Faskari, Sabuwa and Safana.
According to the State Coordinator, Mercy Corps, Mr Phillip Ikita, the training focuses on two key tools – Interest-Based Negotiation (IBN) and Community and Social Development Resource Management (CSDRM) – aimed at helping communities address disputes before they escalate into wider crises.
He explained that under the IBN component, 60 stakeholders are participating in refresher sessions designed to reinforce negotiation skills previously acquired and assess how participants have applied them in their communities.
Another 60 participants are targeted under the CSDRM refresher sessions, focusing on how communities can identify, map, use and protect shared social and natural resources while considering livelihood needs, climate risks and conflict dynamics.
The figures reflect the programme’s emphasis on strengthening existing community structures rather than creating a new pool of trainees, as participants have previously received training in the respective areas.
He added that the exercise brings together women, youth, farmers, herders, persons with disabilities, community representatives and district-level stakeholders, with emphasis on inclusion and gender balance.
The organisers said the IBN sessions would reinforce the seven elements of Interest-Based Negotiation, while enabling participants to share experiences of resolving disputes and identify approaches that can be replicated in other communities.
The CSDRM sessions, meanwhile, are expected to help participants update community resource maps, identify critical resources and access barriers, recognise climate and environmental risks and develop practical measures for sustainable resource management.
He reiterated that the training is particularly significant for communities facing pressure over farmland, grazing areas, water and other resources, where poor management and competing interests can contribute to tensions.
Through discussions, experience-sharing, participatory mapping, role play, problem-tree analysis and action planning, participants are expected to develop practical approaches for preventing conflicts and strengthening community resilience.
The CPCRR Programme builds on the earlier Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation project and seeks to address the root causes of conflict, strengthen resilience and support socio-economic recovery in Northwest Nigeria.
The organisers said the ultimate goal was to ensure that knowledge gained during the sessions continues to be applied through existing community structures, enabling local stakeholders to play a stronger role in conflict prevention, peaceful dialogue, resource management and community development.
