Zamfara Peacebuilding Enters Critical Phase as IOM Support Winds Down

…EU Announces €25m Northwest Security

Initiative, Calls for Greater State Ownership
Stakeholders have warned that the fragile peace being restored in parts of Zamfara State could come under renewed pressure if development interventions are withdrawn without adequate measures to sustain the gains already recorded.

The warning was issued on Tuesday in Abuja during a Project Steering Committee meeting of the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) Programme, where stakeholders reviewed the programme’s impact across Zamfara and other parts of the Northwest.

The concern comes amid persistent security and humanitarian challenges in the region, including banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder disputes, displacement, poverty and the growing impact of climate-related pressures.

Representing Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Yahya Zakari, appealed to international development partners to sustain their support beyond the current phase of the programme.

Zakari, who chairs the CPCRR Project Steering Committee, said the intervention had helped affected communities restore livelihoods, strengthen grassroots peace structures and develop systems for identifying and preventing conflicts before they escalate.

He said peacebuilding, protection of lives and strengthening the resilience of Zamfara residents remained key priorities of the state government.

“We made firm commitment under our rescue agenda to restore peace, secure lives, and build the resilience of our people,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the progress recorded could easily be undermined if support was discontinued without a clear transition and sustainability plan.

Zakari therefore called for continued engagement, additional funding and a follow-up programme to consolidate the achievements of the current intervention.

“I wish to make a passionate appeal for sustained engagement, consolidation of the gains, and consideration for additional funding and a follow-on program,” he said.

The appeal highlights the complex nature of the security challenge confronting Zamfara and other Northwest states, where military and law-enforcement operations are increasingly being complemented by programmes aimed at addressing the economic, social and environmental conditions that make communities vulnerable to violent groups.

IOM Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Taha Amr, said the CPCRR programme had so far reached nearly 70,000 people through interventions covering peacebuilding, livelihood recovery, climate resilience, protection, mental health and access to essential services.

He noted that armed banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and climate shocks continued to drive displacement and economic hardship across the Northwest, placing additional pressure on already stretched communities and public institutions.

“To date, we are proud to share that IOM has reached almost 70,000 beneficiaries, strengthening local-led peacebuilding architecture,” Taha said.

According to him, communities covered by the programme had witnessed a reduction in reported tensions, conflicts and kidnapping incidents, demonstrating the potential of locally led prevention mechanisms to complement conventional security operations.

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed that the EU had committed more than €5 million to the CPCRR programme in response to the scale of insecurity and displacement in the Northwest.

He said the initiative focused on conflict prevention, early warning systems, dialogue, mediation and resilience-building through community and government institutions.

“The project reflects the EU’s conviction that effective conflict prevention must be locally anchored,” Mignot said.

The ambassador, however, urged state governments to take greater responsibility for preserving the institutions and structures strengthened through international interventions.

“I would like very much to also encourage the state government, all of you, to take over, to take full responsibility to build on what has been reinforced by this project,” he said.

Mignot also announced that the EU was developing a broader €25 million intervention aimed at tackling insecurity in Northwest Nigeria, including Zamfara, with adoption expected before the end of 2026.

While the proposed programme is expected to provide additional support to the region, participants stressed that long-term peace would depend on stronger domestic ownership and sustainable state-led interventions.

The experience of Katsina State was cited as an example of how state ownership could strengthen community-based peacebuilding.

The Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Development Management Board, Mustapha Shehu, said approximately 1,700 community members and stakeholders had been trained to detect emerging tensions and relay early warning signals to relevant authorities.

“Now they know when to report, who to report… The earlier we know this, the earlier we can act,” he said.

Shehu disclosed that Katsina had also mapped 109 transhumance corridors, including water points, livestock markets, grazing areas, veterinary facilities and rest areas, which the state identified as potential conflict flashpoints.

“These are not just corridors. They are flash areas where action must be taken,” he said.

He added that the state had expanded Alternative Dispute Resolution through a mediation centre established by the High Court and Ministry of Justice, allowing communities to resolve disputes before they escalate into larger conflicts.

According to Shehu, sustainable peace requires more than suppressing violence, as it also involves rebuilding trust and relationships among communities.

“Peace process can restore confidence, trust and relationship,” he said.

Katsina has also taken greater responsibility for its nutrition intervention, establishing about 132 state-managed outpatient therapeutic programme centres with support from development partners.

The experiences presented at the meeting point to a gradual transformation in the Northwest’s approach to peace and security—from reacting to violence after it occurs to detecting potential conflicts early, strengthening community institutions and creating economic opportunities for vulnerable populations.

For Zamfara, the immediate challenge will be maintaining these gains as the current CPCRR funding cycle approaches its conclusion.

After years of insecurity that have disrupted farming, displaced households, weakened local economies and placed enormous pressure on public services, stakeholders warned that renewed violence could reverse both security improvements and investments made in rebuilding affected communities.

The consensus from the Abuja meeting was clear: the peace gains achieved in Zamfara must be consolidated through sustained funding, stronger state ownership and community-led mechanisms rather than allowed to fade with the end of a single programme.