- Supports Benue govt in launching landmark 2026-2030 strategic plan for peace, reconciliation
From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
The Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria, SPRiNG Programme has emphasised that sustainable peace is built on the strength of institutions.
SPRING is a major supporter of the Benue State Government providing technical anchor for the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation BSCPR Strategic Plan 2026–2030
The unveiling of the 5 years took place during the high-level Peace Summit at the Government House in Makurdi, on Wednesday 25th February, 2026 marking the culmination of months of technical collaboration between SPRiNG and the State Government.
The Strategic Plan represents a fundamental shift in Benue’s security landscape, moving from reactive crisis management toward a proactive, inclusive, and institutionally grounded peace architecture. As a technical partner, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funded SPRiNG Programme provided advisory to the BSCPR to ensure the plan meets international standards for conflict sensitivity and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).
Delivering a opening remarks at the summit, Team Leader of the SPRiNG Programme, Dr. Ukoha Ukiwo said, “Peacebuilding is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice and the functionality of systems that can detect and resolve grievances before they escalate,”
“SPRiNG is proud to have supported the BSCPR in designing this roadmap, which prioritises the ‘hard truths’ of reconciliation and ensures that the voices of women, youth, and persons with disabilities are not just heard, but are central to the decision-making process.”
Presenting an overview of the strategy Director General BSCPR Ms. Josephine Habba, who is the lead architect of the Commission’s vision, stated that sustainable peace requires more than goodwill; adding that it requires resilient institutions.
“This Strategic Plan is our promise to the people of Benue that the Commission is no longer just a mediator of today’s crises, but a guardian of tomorrow’s stability,”
“With the technical backing of the SPRiNG Programme, we have built a framework that prioritises early warning, inclusive Dialogue and the healing of long-standing grievances. We are moving from siloed efforts to coordinated, state-wide peace architecture.”
Performing the official launch, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon Dr Sam Ode commended the collaborative effort between the state and the FCDO funded SPRiNG Programme.
It should be noted that the SPRiNG-supported Strategic Plan focuses on four transformative pillars:
Early Warning and Early Response EWER, establishing a robust, real-time reporting network across all 23 LGAs to prevent the escalation of violence,
Inclusive Mediation and Reconciliation, Strengthening the capacity of traditional and religious leaders to resolve disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR,
Institutional Strengthening: Building a neutral, transparent, and well-resourced Commission capable of leading long-term social cohesion.
It also ensures that Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion, GEDSI are embedded in every peace intervention, reflecting the UN 2026 theme: “Rights. Justice and Action.”
The summit concluded with two expert panel discussions that explored practical pathways for strengthening inclusive sustainable peace architecture in Benue State, as well as early warning, early response coordination: a blend of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to peacebuilding.
The Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme is a four-year initiative (2024-2028) funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) implemented by Tetra Tech International Development, in partnership with Nextier SPD (Nextier), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, HD.
The programme is aimed at enhancing institutional capacity for conflict management and response, boost public confidence in key institutions, and create greater incentives for peace in Nigeria.
Later in an interview with newsmen, the Team Leader, Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria SPRiNG and Tetra Tech International Development, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo said, “We supported the development of the Plan and all the consultations that took place and again because this Plan was developed through a consultative process; convening Zonal consultations, supporting the Consultants that helped to develop the Plan.
“In addition to that we have a kind of embedded technical assistance to the Commission, BSCPR, and we are also supporting a number of initiative that they are actually doing, including their coordination with the actors in Taraba and Nasarawa that they have borders with just to ensure that they are sharing information and coordinating in terms of the way they respond to those issues that have implications from a cross border perspective
“So what we hope and that is the message that everyone has been given here is that this Strategic Plan becomes owned by every actor; people see what their roles are and they then key into it.
“We will continue to provide our own support but it’s essential that the government, which the governor has affirmed; owns it, leads and drives the process and international actors like us.
As part of plans to monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan Ukiwo stated that “We have regular meetings with the Commission and we will follow up on that. From our own part, the different initiatives, community early warning and response systems that are supported, we will continue to support that. And of course we have an ME (Monitoring and Evaluation) system that tracks progress and share results of what has happened over time. So we will ensure that that is there.
“But the key thing will be to get conversations going in terms of knowing when, and at what intervals. In fact what has happened to ensure that the Plan itself has a Monitoring and Evaluation framework so that it is embedded in it. So, if that is followed, strictly speaking, it will be clear to know where progress is being made and where we are falling short. And again also to recalibrate and adapt to emerging realities.”
