SOME Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have advocated institutional reforms to encourage youth and women participation in the Lake Chad Basin stabilisation programmes.
The organisations, drawn from Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, stated this at the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governor’s Forum in Maiduguri on Friday.
Mrs Matan Abdou, Regional CSO Platform Country Lead for Niger Republic, stressed the need for the removal of social and cultural barriers hindering women and youth from contributing to the recovery processes from decade-old armed conflicts in the region.
She said, “There must be a holistic approach, including institutional reforms, to ensure young people and women are not only included in discussions but are given real responsibilities,” Abdou said.
The Country Lead said that the involvement of women and youths in conflict resolution in the region was in line with the UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 2250, and country-specific action plan to promote the participation of marginalized groups.
Abdou noted that CSOs had the grassroots reach needed to mobilise these groups and communities, and ensure their voices were reflected in national and regional policies.
The Country Lead called for better protection mechanisms for civil society actors working in high-risk environments, and urged governments to create enabling legal and political framework for their operations.
Also speaking, Mrs Martha Wandou, Regional CSO Platform Country Lead for Nigeria, stressed the role of young people in peace building and climate change advocacy.
“The youth are at the centre of reconstruction. Their voices must be heard, and their contributions valued,” she said.
Wandou noted that young people were critical stakeholders in addressing insecurity and environmental challenges, and called for the implementation of programmes that would accord them leadership roles in the stabilisation efforts.
Meanwhile, a member of the Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Ahmed Jaha, has expressed concern over the plight of widows and orphans affected by Boko Haram insurgency.
Jaha (APC – Gwoza/Damboa/Chibok Federal Constituency), said that Borno had about 50,000 widows and orphans displaced, adding that proactive strategies were necessary to support them.
Baba Shehu, Regional CSO Platform Country Lead for Nigeria, called for greater involvement of CSOs in the revising the stabilisation strategy to ensure the adoption of a “whole of society” approach.
“The revised strategy up to 2030 takes into account all displaced populations and vulnerable groups,” Shehu said.
He added that CSOs, leveraging their community knowledge and expertise were aligning their initiatives with state development plans to meet the needs of the affected populations.
NAN report that the forum emphasised the role of CSOs in working alongside governments and international partners to ensure that vulnerable groups, including youth and women, are actively engaged in peace and development initiatives. (NAN)
