By Tejiri Ebikeme, Warri
Niger Delta Peace and Security Working Group (NDPSWG) recently concluded a Stakeholders’ Forum on 2015 Elections. The forum brought together 102 public and private sector stakeholders including security agents, traditional and youth leaders to share findings from its multi-sector consultations on what can be done to mitigate the potential for violence in the Niger Delta during the election period.
The forum was organized by the Niger Delta Peace and Security Working Group in conjunction with the Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta (PIND) supported by the Partners for Peace (P4P) Network. The Peace and Security Working Group (PSWG) was established in order to enhance the effectiveness and coordination of interventions that are designed to reduce conflict in Nigeria.
The PSWG meets in Abuja and Port Harcourt, and brings together Chief Security Officers, Non-Governmental Organizations, Government, and Private Sector stakeholders together to share information and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration. The Niger Delta Sub-Group was established with the same vision of preventing violent conflict with a specific focus on the 2015 elections and the end of the Amnesty Program.
This event followed a previous forum where over 50 stakeholders conducted a series of Scenario Planning Exercises exploring pathways towards violence prevention and specific areas of concern. The scenario planning sought to examine key matters arising as a result of the upcoming elections from diverse points of view, including: governance, healthcare services, gender, youth, legal, and much more.
The communique included observations from the wide array of stakeholders, as well as key findings and recommendations to help foster peace in the run-up to the elections and in the period immediately following.
The group called for partners in the Niger Delta to join the NDPSWG and the P4P Network to partner on advocacy and peace building for the safety and security of all Nigerians.
