OSPRE Trains LGs On Early Warning, Response To Conflicts, Disasters In Benue

The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) has trained selected local government areas in Benue State on early warning systems and responses to conflicts and disasters.

Established in 2022 under ECOWAS frameworks, OSPRE, also known as the National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanisms, is tasked with fostering a culture of preparedness and resilience within Nigeria’s strategic institutions, communities, and public life.

The OSPRE’s Programme Manager, Hafsah Matazu, stated on Friday that the training, titled: “Safety, Peace and Resilience in Communities (SPARCS)”, aimed to enhance the early warning, response, and resilience capabilities of participants.

According to OSPRE Director-General, Mr Chris Ngwodo, the SPARCS workshop is 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 emphasised that the initiative demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to fostering sustainable peace at the grassroots level and reflects President Bola Tinubu’s determination to strengthen local governance.

He also expressed gratitude to the Neem Foundation and the Integrated Security Fund for their support and reaffirmed OSPRE’s dedication to collaborating with local and state governments and stakeholders at the sub-national level.

Participants and partners involved in the SPARCS initiative praised the organisers and called for ongoing engagement to build on the program’s successes.

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 LGAs in Benue, while similar training sessions also took place in Awka South and Idemili North LGAs of Anambra State.

Participants included members from local government secretariats, community vigilance groups, federal and state security agencies, as well as representatives from women and youth groups.