The European Union (EU) has reiterated its commitment to supporting peacebuilding initiatives in Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta region, aimed at promoting sustainable development and consolidating efforts by the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture (SPA) and its partners.
The EU delegation, led by Ruben Alba, Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, alongside Eric Piton, Programme Manager of the European Union Foreign Policy Instrument in Dakar, Senegal, was hosted by the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture for a four-day working visit to the state.
During a stakeholders’ dialogue at the Best Western Private Hall, Yenagoa, the visiting diplomats emphasized that the EU’s global peacebuilding efforts are guided by principles of justice, fairness, and societal improvement.
Mr. Alba lauded the efforts of the Bayelsa SPA in addressing key drivers of conflict such as substance abuse, cultism, communal crises, environmental injustice, chieftaincy disputes, and resource allocation issues. He called for greater partnerships and indicated the possibility of extending the project by six months to consolidate success stories.
Both Mr. Alba and Mr. Piton expressed optimism that within six months, the Bayelsa State Community Peace Commission Bill would be enacted, establishing a dedicated commission for peacebuilding and Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) conflict resolution mechanisms. They further encouraged the SPA to follow up on the Bayelsa State Commission Report on the Environment, emphasizing that environmental justice and political harmony are vital to sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
Opening the dialogue, Hon. Alfred Watson Belemote, Executive Chairman of the Bayelsa SPA and Commissioner for Community Development, thanked the EU delegation for their visit and commended Search for Common Ground, the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and PIND for their partnership. He highlighted ongoing initiatives in training peace agents from military, paramilitary, CSOs, FBOs, media, professional groups, youths, women, and community organizations, aimed at fostering sustainable peace.
Presenting the SPA’s position paper, Dr. Inebaraton Preye, Secretary of the SPA, outlined the multi-sectoral approach adopted by the organization to address conflict drivers. He noted that the SPA has successfully mitigated over 200 conflict drivers in the past 18 months, using community-centered strategies and systemic methods to confront root causes of conflicts. The SPA has also engaged tertiary institutions and key stakeholders in campaigns against substance abuse while implementing proactive peacebuilding processes.
Dr. Preye highlighted specific requests from the EU and its partners, including:
-
Establishment of the Bayelsa State Community Peace Commission
-
Expansion of the project to at least 10 communities per Local Government Area
-
Extension of the project duration by 18 months
-
Implementation of peace campaigns before, during, and after the 2027 polls
-
Initiatives for environmental justice, including applying findings from the carbon offset study and dialogue
The dialogue was attended by key stakeholders, including About Karno Ouattara, Country Director of Search for Common Ground; Mrs. Gift Omoniwa, Director of Programmes; Mr. Andy Nwankwo, National Director on Conflict Analysis; Mr. Chorbe Joshua, Consortium Manager; Florence Ibok Abasi, SDN Country Director; representatives from the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, youths, and other peacebuilding actors across Nigeria.
The EU delegation’s visit underscores the continued commitment to building peace, fostering collaboration, and promoting sustainable development in Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region.
STONEREPORTERS NEWSROOM 📝
📩 For more details on this and other stories, visit stonereportersnews.com
🌍 Contact us: info@stonereportersnews.com
📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNews
Add comment
Comments