….Prepares Comprehensive Blueprint For Advancement Of North, Nigeria

The prevailing socio-economic and political challenges in the North in particular, has necessitated the birth of a movement, “Area Cohesion For Peace, Unity and Development Initiative”, championed by former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and unveiled on Thursday in Kaduna.

The unveiling of the movement on Thursday in Kaduna, according to Bafarawa, marks the beginning of a journey towards healing divisions, fostering understanding and nurturing sustainable development in the region that is more than geographical expression.

Bafarawa who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the movement, identified some of the challenges confronting them as a people, to include communal conflicts, rising insecurity, youth restiveness, economic marginalisation and gradual erosion of the values that once held them together.
It was against these backgrounds, he said, the movement tailored its mission to promote peaceful coexistence among diverse communities in the North, create platforms for dialogue, reconciliation and conflict resolution.
Others are to engage youths, work collectively with governments, traditional and faith based institutions, CSOs and international partners towards a safer, stronger and more inclusive North.

Bafarawa however made it clear that the movement is not political and doesn’t intend to transform into a political party or do they align with any.
” Our mission transcends partisan politics.We are ready to work with anyone regardless of political affiliation, who shares our commitment to transforming Arewa and Nigeria for the better.
We are ready to collaborate with any organisation that has similar objectives as ours.
While our Movement remains non- partisan in character, we recognise that our members are free to pursue their individual political aspirations beyond the confines of the Initiative”, he explains.

Bafarawa announced that the movement has prepared a comprehensive Blueprint for the North and Nigeria, a road map born from careful study and deep reflection on the region’s potential

He therefore affirmed the Movement’s unwavering focus on the collective interests of the North and its people, rising above political divisions that had for too long hindered their progress.

In his opening remarks, the Director General of the Movement, Dr. Abdullahi Idris said the Movement was initiated having been convinced that the challenges facing the region could only be addressed through genuine collaboration, mutual understanding and a common agenda for peace and development.
“The Arewa Cohesion Initiative is therefore a timely and strategic effort that seeks to foster dialogue where there is silence, rebuild trust where it has been eroded, and create opportunities where there have been too few. It’s built on three interlinked pillars: peacebuilding, Arewa  unity and sustainable development,” Dr. Idris emphasized.
He advised that as they look to the future, they must resist the temptation of short- term thinking. “The problems we face today were not created overnight and they will also not be resolved overnight. But with patience, coordination and sustained commitment, transformation is possible” , he said.
Unveiling the Movement, the Chairman of the occasion and a retired General, Jon Temlong praised Bafarawa for thinking of what he could do for his country and not the country could do for him after retiring from politics .
The Initiative, Temlong said, embodies the timeliness value that has always defined them as a people with spirit of brotherhood, commitment to justice and belief in the power of unity and strength.
General Temlong reminded the leadership of the Movement that they carry with them, the hopes of millions adding that the unveiling marks the beginning of a journey that would be remembered as the turning point in the Northern region’s quest for lasting peace and sustainable development.
The event which witnessed a convergence of people especially from the Northern part of the country was held at the historical Arewa House, Kaduna.

By Justina Auta

The Federal Government has commenced the training of its workforce to implement and upgrade social standards across various sectors.

The initiative is aimed at addressing weak compliance with social safeguards and bridging gaps in inclusive, rights-based development.

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs (FMoWA), said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the Social Standards Node training under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project.

The training, organised by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, is supported by the World Bank.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who was represented by Mr Benjamin Okwesa, SPESSE Project Coordinator in the ministry, said the initiative would promote sustainable development, improve working conditions, and enhance the overall quality of life for Nigerians.

According to her, the Social Standards Node of the SPESSE project will enable the ministry and its implementing partners to address issues affecting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

“This is mainly due to the growing incidences of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), communal clashes, displacement from ancestral homes, land acquisition issues, and poor labour and working conditions.

“All of which are among the social risks and impacts this project aims to tackle.

“These deficiencies have continued to negatively impact the development of affected communities, devastating individuals, families, and households, thereby affecting their overall physical, social, psychological, and economic well-being,” she added.

Reiterating the commitment of the involved ministries, the minister noted that the initiative would strengthen the capacities of staff and practitioners in the Procurement, Environment, and Social Standards (PES) sectors in Nigeria.

“The project is focused on developing academic and certification programmes to ensure that practitioners in the Social Development, Procurement, and Environment sectors, including graduates from the six established Centres of Excellence, meet global standards to improve service delivery,” she said.

She explained that the training, being conducted by the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), would provide participants with knowledge of short executive courses (Track A) and the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).

“Ultimately, the training will qualify participants for certification as Social Standards Professionals.”

She urged participants to take full advantage of the initiative to contribute to national development and address pressing social challenges.

Also speaking, Dr Joshua Attah, SPESSE Project Coordinator, represented by Mr Peter Tobrise, Project Management Officer at the National Universities Commission (NUC), emphasised the importance of the training in building workers’ capacity.

“This experience will broaden your horizon and enhance your ability to tackle real-world challenges in social safeguards.

“The success of this project depends largely on the commitment of participants here and beyond,” he said. (NAN)