A Non Governmental Organisation, Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI) on Thursday signed a 60,000 dollars agreement with Plateau state government on peace efforts in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NERI is an implementing partner of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Chief Party of NERI, Mr Olivier Girard, said that the U.S. was interested in addressing conflict and violence occuring in the North Central and North West of the country.
“They have asked our programme to come and start work and see how we can support efforts to promote peace, reconcilation and recovery of communities that were affected by violence,” he said.
Girard said that the agreement was for partnership with the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA) to conduct rapid assessment in Bassa and Mangu Local Government Areas of the state.
He said this would pave way for other collaborations such as supporting communities that were affected by violence and also supporting the agency to perform its roles effectively.
He said NERI would support PPBA with funds to conduct the assement in partnership with Civil Society Organisations, to understand communities that were affected by violence and their outstanding grievances.
“Hopefully, the report of the assesment would be shared with all local actors and that would set the stage for further interventions in terms of helping communities recover their means of livelihood.
“It could be giving psycho-social support to those affected by trauma and help to resolve some of the grievances,” he said.
He said the organisation would work closely with PPBA to jointly decide how the 60,000 dollars grant would be used, saying the partnership is to help them understand the needs of the affected communities.
The Director General of PPBA, Mr Joseph Lengman, said the organisation have been working with both state and non-state actors to contribute towards addressing issues that engender violence in the state.
Lengman said some unresolved issues may possibly lead to reoccurrence of violent conflict, adding that there is the need for such issues to be addressed through systematic engagements.
He said that Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau was committed to ensure peaceful coexistence devoid of nocturnal attacks, instability and restiveness.
NAN reports that PPBA was established by an act of legislation in February 2016, with the mandate of preventing violent conflicts through synergy with state and non-state actors.
