TheCable

Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) says it has trained 374 youths in Delta on peacebuilding with a focus on volunteerism and conflict management.

PIND is a non-profit organisation that promotes peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region through multi-stakeholder partnerships. 

The training was organised to empower youth to understand the connection between peacebuilding and economic development, recognise conflict causes, and acquire basic skills on how to respond to conflicts to prevent escalation and negative impacts of conflict on relationships and businesses.

It was aimed at developing participants’ skills in being sensitive to issues with respect to cultures, environment and businesses. 

The participants — 270 in Warri and 104 in Asaba — were also trained on how to become peace monitors by sending conflict reports to PIND’s SMS-based early warning reporting system, which is a unique and robust grassroots-based conflict prevention system. 

Giving feedback, participants said the exercise was meaningful and impactful.

The youths were part of the 597 participants in PIND’s Delta Youth Employment Programme (DYEP). 

The programme, which started in September 2021, aims at fostering youth employment in the Niger Delta by enhancing their employability and boosting their capacity for entrepreneurship, thereby advancing SDG 8. 

Participants have been trained in 17 vocations within four sectors: information communication technology (ICT), building construction, agriculture and services, among others.