By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) has successfully concluded a comprehensive capacity-building programme aimed at strengthen early warning, response, and resilience systems at the grassroots level.
The programme is under its Safety, Peace, and Resilience in Communities (SPARCs) project in partnership with the UK’s Integrated Security Fund and the Neem Foundation and the initiative covers eight local government areas across Anambra, Benue, Katsina, and Plateau states.
Stakeholders brought together included traditional and religious leaders, local government officials, community vigilance groups, and representatives of security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Participating LGAs included Idemili North and Awka South in Anambra, Oju and Vandeikya in Benue, Batagarawa and Kurfi in Katsina, and Bokkos and Mangu in Plateau State.
Mr Chris Ngwodo, Director General of OSPRE said, “embedding early warning, response, and resilience structures within local governments is part of our strategy to revitalise grassroots governance,”
He stated also that recovery and stabilisation must begin with restoring functionality to the third tier of government, adding that, “building peace starts from the ground up.”
Speaking at an After-Action Review Forum, Mr. Ngwodo expressed gratitude to the UK Government for supporting the initiative and laying the foundations for safer communities.
The programme featured a robust research component designed to assess existing community-based security mechanisms. Through key informant interviews across the eight LGAs, OSPRE identified the specific needs and gaps in some communities’ existing early warning and response structures or lack thereof, helping tailor the training to local realities.
The training sessions covered conflict prevention, emergency preparedness, gender-sensitive security, and data analysis.
The participants received training manuals, digital data collection tools, mobile phones, flashlights, and whistles to support community-based early warning, safety and response efforts.
The beneficiaries widely praised the programme’s impact. Abdullahi Ibrahim Lawal of the Katsina State Emergency Management Board commended the initiative for fostering a culture of shared responsibility in maintaining security at the community level, noting that “security is a responsibility for all—men, women, and children alike.”
The Director General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, Dr Julie Sanda, commended the SPARCS programme for reinforcing citizens’ “understanding of their roles in promoting security in their communities” and strengthening structures that “firmly link the community with the local government.”Community safety: OSPRE equip stakeholders with early warning signs, response and resilience mechanisms
Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) has successfully concluded a comprehensive capacity-building programme aimed at strengthen early warning, response, and resilience systems at the grassroots level.
The programme is under its Safety, Peace, and Resilience in Communities (SPARCs) project in partnership with the UK’s Integrated Security Fund and the Neem Foundation and the initiative covers eight local government areas across Anambra, Benue, Katsina, and Plateau states.
Stakeholders brought together included traditional and religious leaders, local government officials, community vigilance groups, and representatives of security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Participating LGAs included Idemili North and Awka South in Anambra, Oju and Vandeikya in Benue, Batagarawa and Kurfi in Katsina, and Bokkos and Mangu in Plateau State.
Mr Chris Ngwodo, Director General of OSPRE said, “embedding early warning, response, and resilience structures within local governments is part of our strategy to revitalise grassroots governance,”
He stated also that recovery and stabilisation must begin with restoring functionality to the third tier of government, adding that, “building peace starts from the ground up.”
Speaking at an After-Action Review Forum, Mr. Ngwodo expressed gratitude to the UK Government for supporting the initiative and laying the foundations for safer communities.
The programme featured a robust research component designed to assess existing community-based security mechanisms. Through key informant interviews across the eight LGAs, OSPRE identified the specific needs and gaps in some communities’ existing early warning and response structures or lack thereof, helping tailor the training to local realities.
The training sessions covered conflict prevention, emergency preparedness, gender-sensitive security, and data analysis.
The participants received training manuals, digital data collection tools, mobile phones, flashlights, and whistles to support community-based early warning, safety and response efforts.
The beneficiaries widely praised the programme’s impact. Abdullahi Ibrahim Lawal of the Katsina State Emergency Management Board commended the initiative for fostering a culture of shared responsibility in maintaining security at the community level, noting that “security is a responsibility for all—men, women, and children alike.”
The Director General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, Dr Julie Sanda, commended the SPARCS programme for reinforcing citizens’ “understanding of their roles in promoting security in their communities” and strengthening structures that “firmly link the community with the local government.”
On his part, the Special Adviser on Security to the Anambra State Governor, Air Vice Marshal Ben Chiobi (rtd) hailed SPARCS as “gamechanger in mainstreaming technology in safety and security in our communities.”
Hafsah Matazu, the programme officer, told our Correspondent that OSPRE was established in 2022 under ECOWAS instruments.
OSPRE, also known as the National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanisms, remains committed to promoting local governance, peacebuilding, and long-term national stability.
End.
