ABUJA (State House Report)- The wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has observed the need for more action on conflict resolution in Africa. She was speaking through Dr. Hajo Sani, Senior Special Assistant to the President, during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the California State University Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR), Sacramento, California, to the State House on Friday, July 28, 2017.
Dr. Hajo said conflicts lead to untold hardship, especially to women and children and highlighted the enormous costs both to the nation and the victims. She cited the efforts of Mrs. Buhari through the Future Assured Programme both at IDP camps across the country and in host communities, where the victims are regularly supported with assorted relief materials. She also spoke of the high level meeting being organized by Mrs. Buhari in collaboration with the wife of the Nigerienne President to support victims of conflict in the Lake Chad basin.
Dr. Sani lauded the Center for championing specialized conflict resolution skills development and reconciliation services in Africa, noting that it is a way to increase conflict prevention and peacemaking.
The head of the delegation and Director of the Center, Prof. Ernest Uwazie said they were in Nigeria to seek for partnership with relevant institutions for the Africa Peace Fellows Program, which is aimed at building the next generation of African peace leaders for a sustainable culture of peace. He lamented that sustained conflicts always led to a reduced pace of development in affected societies and said it was necessary to come up with alternative means of conflict resolution, including the involvement of young people.
Professor Uwazie lauded the effort of Future Assured Programme, which he said is a strong institution that is already working in the area of reducing the impact of conflicts by empowering women with vocational skills and said he was confident that the programme will work with his center to make a difference in this area.
