Conflict Prevention: Early Warning and Early Response System developed in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Peace Commission in Northwest Nigeria has developed Early Warning and Early Response System with the support of the United Nations Development Programme.

The system has the capacity to pick up information on reported tensions via social media using certain key words.

The mobile application has a web-based component, an SMS and call-in capability that links the responders to the situation on the ground which is then verified via GPS technology that supplies the coordinates of the reporter.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Barr. Priscilla Ankut announced this in Kaduna Wednesday at a capacity building workshop on the System Organised by UNDP in collaboration with the Commission , Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

She said the workshop was designed to build the capacity of relevant stakeholders in peacemaking, peace-building, conflict mitigation and prevention of conflicts.

“The System will have the active participation of partners such as the NSCDC and other security agencies as responders; civil society and community-based organisations and actors, peace-loving citizens, the media and other relevant stakeholders.

Barr. Ankut noted that over the years, the Kaduna State Peace Commission (KAPECOM) had organized similar and other capacity building workshops to empower peace workers in undertaking peace works, mediation and negotiation across the state.

“The intension is to develop as many

stakeholders as possible to handle issues of mitigation, negotiation and mediation at all levels—state, local government and ward.

CEWERS is a critical aspect of conflict prevention and management.

” It will avail the tools of conflict prevention to all citizens, who in their desire for peace and development, can draw the attention of responders and emergency service providers to the possibility of breakdown of peace, law and order in their environments in real time. Early warning and early response to potential conflicts makes mitigation easier and more effective in limiting conflicts.

” Further to this, communities will take ownership of whatever initiative the Peace Commission midwives with them. The tool we shall soon deploy will also have the capacity for warning signals which will be sent out to people who have subscribed to receiving such about the occurrence of conflicts in locations they may want to travel to within the state.

“This workshop and training programmes such as EWERS are initiatives in line with the mandate establishing the Commission designed to have a peaceful and secure Kaduna State.

“This is because the Commission accords priority on resolving issues that can mutate into violent conflicts. It is on this priority that the Commission, in its three years of existence, has facilitated various dialogues and mediation in communities across the state, limiting and preventing the breakout of conflicts.

“We want to thank our partners, especially the UNDP, the Norwegian government and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for the opportunity to collaborate with them.

“With development partners such as the UNDP, the design and operationalization of the Conflict Early Warning Early Response System (CEWERS) that will assist in achieving this preventive objective has given us a flip for which we are grateful. Also, with the support of partners in the security branch, we are hopeful that we shall henceforth have a state that is peaceful and developed.

‘The success of this work, the Vice Chairman reemphasised , shall be a plus to the work the Commission and its partners were doing in the area of peace building, and complement the work of security agencies, especially in the aspect of conflict prevention.

“In so doing, we have found a way to strengthen our synergy with peace actors working at state, local and international levels.

She thanked the UNDP for the massive support and for seeing the need to support the commission to have this system .

Barr. Ankut also appreciate the security agents and other partners who shall be on-hand to respond to such warnings for bringing to fruition the idea to have a stable, harmonious society for all citizens of Kaduna State.