The European Union (EU) and British Council-supported Managing Conflict in Nigeria (MCN) programme has
trained 450 community and religious leaders on conflict management in Borno.

The Lead Manager of the Programme, Ms Zara Goni, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in
Maiduguri.

Goni said the programme was designed to enhance community participation in conflict management and peace building process in
communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency.

“The goals of the MCN programme it to strengthen the government and other institutions to be able to respond to conflict in a nonviolent
manner.

“We have five areas of intervention: conflict management, where we strengthen traditional rulers and religious leaders to be able to
respond to conflict within the communities; it also includes capacity building in alternative dispute resolution; transitional justice and
creating dialogue plat forms in the communities, to first detect early warning signs and come up with solution to local problems.

“We are also working in areas of reconciliation; we want to strengthen the responsiveness of the security sector to the citizens within the
communities through dialogue.”

She added that similar training would be conducted in Adamawa and Yobe.

Goni revealed that the MCN had initiated various programmes to facilitate rehabilitation and reintegration of children linked with
armed conflict as well as provide vocational training to members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), to enable them learn trade and
engage in productive activities.

The manager added that the porgramme in collaboration with development organizations implemented skill acquisition programmes to empower
women affected by the conflict, and promote women participation in peace building process.

“We encourage women to form cluster and build resilience to enable them contribute to the peace restoration, to achieve sustainable
social and economic development,” she added.

According to her, about 4 million people affected by the conflict were targeted to participate in the programme in the Northeast. (NAN)