In a bid to address violence in the Niger Delta region, the European Union has rolled out plans to invest in 60 communities in three Niger Delta states.
The Country Director, Search for Common Ground, Fatima Abubakar, stated this at the official launch of the European Union-funded project titled ‘A Community-Centered Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ on Friday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Abubakar said that the project marks a milestone in its collaborative endeavours to promote inclusive community security approaches, which was to address the root causes of violence and criminality in the region.
She said, “We will invest in 24 communities of 12 local government areas in Delta State, the gesture also spanned across 26 communities in 13 Local Government Areas in Rivers State, including Bayelsa State.
“This is aimed at fostering inclusive community security approaches to addressing the systemic drivers of violence, criminality and building resilience in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
“We are abreast of the local context of the region, its history, challenges and conflict dynamics that have shaped the current political, economic and social landscape of the region.
“Consequently, search designs its projects to collaborate with local and international partners to spearhead impactful initiatives aimed at mitigating violence and building resilience in communities across the Niger Delta.
“One such notable initiative was the ‘Tomorrow is a New Day’ project, implemented from 2013 to 2015 with funding from the European Union. This violence-reduction project contributed to stability in the Niger Delta, facilitating the peaceful reintegration of ex-militants and promoting community reconciliation.
“Through the project, infrastructural interventions such as the construction of internal roads and community radio stations were built in Koko and Oporoza communities.”
She called on all stakeholders to use this opportunity to build a resilient and peaceful Delta State, setting an example for sustainable development and community-driven transformation.
The state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, said, the European Union deserves applause for making their resources available.
While commending the EU and other stakeholders for their interest and willingness to invest in 24 communities in the state, Oborevweri who spoke through his deputy, Monday Onyeme, noted, “This is a huge human capital development effort, and I expect that those who will be entrusted with managing the different aspects of the programme will do their job with utmost zeal, dedication and integrity.
“I am persuaded that the ‘bottom-up, inclusive and community-centred approach’ of this project, will inspire hope in our people, foster behavioural changes, and give them a sense of belonging. It is, therefore, incumbent on the project managers to display the highest levels of fairness, transparency, and accountability in the discharge of their duties.”
He stated that the state government will continue to offer a hand of fellowship with various partners of the EU working in the oil-rich region to “raise a new generation of leaders and thinkers that will change the narrative in the Niger Delta region”.
According to the governor, the European Union-funded projects were designed to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes systematically to achieve a renewed sense of civic responsibility in the target communities through the building of strong and enduring intra-and inter-community relationships.
