The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), in partnership with the UK-funded Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) programme and the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency (PSPBA), has convened a high-level consultative and peer-learning dialogue to address rising insecurity across Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, and Plateau states.
The event, held in Jos, Plateau State, brought together security officials and peacebuilding actors to share experiences and strategies for tackling security challenges in the affected states.
Director-General of OSPRE, Chris Ngwodo, emphasised the need for a coordinated and collaborative approach, noting that no single tier of government can effectively address the country’s complex security challenges alone.
He said the dialogue is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen subnational coordination, enhance early warning systems, and promote adaptive, locally driven responses to evolving threats.
According to Ngwodo, OSPRE, through its SPARCS programme, trained over 300 participants across the North-West and North-Central zones in 2025 on detecting, analysing, and responding to conflict risks in real time.
He also expressed appreciation to SPRING and the United Kingdom Government for their continued support to peacebuilding and resilience initiatives in Nigeria.
“No single tier of government can address today’s security challenges in isolation. What is required is a coherent, collaborative framework that aligns local knowledge with national capabilities,” he said.
The Team Lead for SPRING, Dr. Ukoha Ukiwo, highlighted the importance of sustained collaboration among government institutions, communities, and development partners in addressing the root causes of insecurity.
He noted that strengthening local capacities and fostering peer-learning platforms such as the dialogue are critical to building resilient systems capable of preventing conflicts before they escalate.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency, Julie Sanda, commended OSPRE and SPRING for their commitment to promoting peace and stability in Plateau State and across the northern region.
She called for expanded collaboration to scale successful interventions and deepen their impact at the community level.
