CEPASD Trains 300 Environmental Defenders In Kaduna

The Centre for Peace Advocacy and Sustainable Development (CEPASD) has trained 300 community environmental defenders in three communities in Kaduna State on environmental protection, personal security and early-warning mechanisms.

The training, held from October 27 to 29, 2026, covered Unguwar-Rimi, Television and Sabo communities under the organisation’s Community Environmental Defender Protection and Early-Warning Training project.

The initiative is part of the CIVIC-GUARD Nigeria Project, a consortium project led by Young Advocates for Sustainable Future (YASIF) with support from CIVICUS.

According to CEPASD, the training was designed to help participants identify and respond to environmental and climate-related risks, improve their personal and digital security, recognise potential threats and contribute to community-based early-warning and response systems.

The programme also addressed the links between environmental challenges and community tensions, particularly those associated with pollution, flooding, water scarcity and other climate-related pressures.

Representatives of the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) and the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA) participated in the training.

The General Manager of KASUPDA was represented by Bashir Suleiman, while Victor represented the General Manager of KEPA. They highlighted the importance of cooperation between government institutions and local communities in addressing environmental challenges.

Speaking on the initiative, CEPASD Executive Director, Augustine Igweshi, said environmental defenders play an important role in identifying environmental concerns, raising awareness and promoting accountability.

He noted, however, that their work could expose them to threats, making personal protection, digital security and early-warning skills necessary.

As part of the project, CEPASD conducted community engagement and stakeholder consultations in the three communities and carried out a baseline assessment of risks facing environmental defenders. The findings informed the training content.

The assessment showed that 57.4 per cent of respondents had experienced or witnessed threats in the preceding 12 months, while 58.5 per cent reported experiencing a digital security incident.

It also found that 65.3 per cent of respondents believed environmental or climate-related pressures contributed to disputes or tensions in their communities.

The training covered climate security, environmental protection, risk identification and management, digital safety, personal protection and early-warning approaches.

CEPASD said the project would continue with simulation exercises, the establishment of WhatsApp and SMS reporting channels, and follow-up monitoring and evaluation to assess how participants apply the knowledge acquired.

The organisation said the initiative was intended to strengthen community capacity to identify environmental risks, improve the protection of environmental defenders and help prevent environmental challenges from escalating into wider disputes.