The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) has conducted training for selected local government areas in Benue State on early warning systems and responses to conflicts and disasters.
OSPRE’s programme manager, Hafsah Matazu, stated yesterday that the training was aimed at enhaning the early warning, response, and resilience capabilities of participants.
According to OSPRE’s director-general, Mr Chris Ngwodo, the SPARCS workshop was an extension of the Concord Initiative, which is the agency’s flagship peace-building programme.
He noted that participants received training in various areas, including early warning, emergency preparedness, response and resilience, gender security, and data collection and analysis.
Ngwodo said the initiative demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to foster sustainable peace at the grassroots and reflected President Bola Tinubu’s determination to strengthen local governance.
He expressed gratitude to the Neem Foundation and the Integrated Security Fund for their support and reaffirmed OSPRE’s dedication to collaborate with local and state governments and stakeholders at the sub-national level.
The director of the Centre for Peace and Development Studies at Benue State University, Dr John Tsuwa, commended OSPRE for advocating early warning and response strategies.
He noted that OSPRE had taken significant steps to mobilise essential stakeholders in early warning to identify, report, and address community challenges effectively.
Matazu further explained that OSPRE provided selected cohorts in the LGAs with resource materials such as training manuals, computers, mobile phones, flashlights, whistles, and digital data-gathering tools.
The workshops were held in Oju and Vandeikya LGs in Benue, while similar training sessions also took place in Awka South and Idemili North LGAs of Anambra State.
