Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in The Niger Delta (EU NIGER DELTA)

Home / Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in The Niger Delta (EU NIGER DELTA)
September 12, 2024

Overview

The project aims to tackle systemic violence and criminality in the Niger Delta through a holistic, community-centered approach involving multiple stakeholders. 

Key elements include addressing socio-economic drivers, fostering collaboration, and promoting social cohesion. The project leverages the expertise and networks of various partners to implement innovative, bottom-up strategies for sustainable peace and security in the region.

Duration: 18 months.

Donor organization: European Union

Consortium Partners: AAPW, SDN, PIND, and Search as the Lead organization.

Geographic Focus: Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States.

Overall Goal:

To foster inclusive community security approaches to address the systemic drivers of violence and criminality in the Niger Delta.

Specific Objectives (SO) and Expected Results (ER):

SO1: Empower diverse community actors to address social exclusion, lack of economic opportunity, and environmental degradation.

ER1.1: Equip local community actors, including youth, to address social issues collaboratively.

ER1.2: Promote collaboration among youth and adult leaders to tackle division, criminality, and conflict.

SO2: Strengthen collaboration among communities, security actors, and the private sector.

ER2.1: Enhance early warning and response collaboration between communities and security/government actors.

ER2.2: Improve private sector collaboration with local communities.

SO3: Foster online and offline social cohesion within and between communities.

ER3.1: Increase positive interactions across dividing lines in target communities.

ER3.2: Provide online audiences with positive content to foster social cohesion.

SO4: Facilitate multi-level dialogue for innovative policy development.

ER4.1: Enhance networks for formulating policies addressing violence drivers.

Context and Challenges:

Oil Bunkering Crisis: Significant oil theft and artisanal refining impacting security and economy.

Economic and Social Issues: Fiscal imbalances, economic degradation, climate change, social exclusion.

Security and Stability: Broader socio-economic inequalities exacerbating security issues.

Programme Approach and Target Participants:

Young Women and Men

Build resilience against violence and criminality.

Facilitate dialogues to restore trust and integrate youth into security structures.

Traditional and Community Leaders

Strengthen intra- and inter-community relationships.

Participate in multi-level security platforms to inform participatory security processes.

Government Security Actors

Engage in training on human rights and trust-building.

Involvement in peace architecture structures.

Private Security Actors

Train on responsibilities and best practices.

Participate in coordinated community-centred security responses.

Oil Companies

Engage in dialogues and peace architecture bodies.

Contribute to accountability for operational impacts.

State and Regional Policy Makers

Collaborate on community-centred security strategies.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

Strengthen capacity to design and implement peace initiatives.

Local Authorities

Involvement in peace architecture structures for coordinated security efforts.

Communities-at-Large

Disseminate programme messages and outcomes through multimedia campaigns.

 

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