Stakeholders have fine-tuned a new Benue Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) to enhance the security and wellbeing of women, youth and children in the state.
The final technical review and validation of Benue WPS Acton Plan 2026-2030, anchored by Elohim Development Foundation in collaboration with the SPRING programme, took place in Makurdi.
Dr Victoria Daaor, Executive Director, Elohim Development Foundation described the action plan as a roadmap to enduring peace in the state.
Daaor stated that the plan gives everybody who is working or has anything to do in the area of Women, Peace and Security an understanding of where they are going, how they are going to get there and the road to achieving it.
According to her, it is a guiding document for government, development partners and civil society organisations.
“I believe that if we implement it to the letter, Women, Peace and Security will receive a huge boost in the state.
“It has been a long process, and we have been working on it for quite some time.
“We have done a lot, and this is the final stage, where stakeholders from relevant MDAs, civil society organisations and the wider society come together to review the draft and make their final inputs.
“People have made their inputs and corrections, expunged one or two things and added one or two things.
“Henceforth, we will incorporate their contributions and then proceed to print the document,” she stated.
Mr Henry Akya, State Coordinator for SPRiNG Programme, measurable results were achieved during the final validation workshop.
Akya said the previous State Action Plan, which expired in 2024, had achieved a lot, as it was the first of its kind in the state.
“The one we are working on now cannot be produced with anything less than the standard that was set by that document.
“That document was launched, and if you have the copy, the governor endorsed it and the commissioner signed it. So, we are expected not to have anything less than that.
“You have a huge task, and we are hoping that you will work with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that this document reaches the governor, where he will be able to endorse it,” he said.
Chief Simon Tov, Kindred Head of Wurukum, Makurdi Local Government, who was a participant at the workshop, prayed that all the relevant stakeholders, including the government, would ensure that the document is signed and implemented.
Tov said that women have the right, wisdom and decision-making ability that would help greatly in entrenching peace and security.
“Women have at least 50 per cent of the role to play in achieving peace. They can reason and think very well.
“I believe they have the capacity and ability to contribute significantly to peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence,” he added.
Mrs Vivian Torbunde, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Benue Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare expressed optimism that with the action plan women would experience less poverty and that child poverty would also be reduced.
“Some women, because of the effects of crises and emergencies on their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and other male relatives, are left alone to cater for their children with little or no resources.
“At the end of this implementation, we hope that the pain and poverty experienced by women will be alleviated. They will have means of livelihood to cater for themselves and their children.
“Ultimately, the bigger impact is to have peace in communities where husbands, fathers and other men have been killed, creating the challenges that have made it necessary for us to address women, peace and security,” he added.
Mr Benjamin Yager, Director of Programmes, Partnership and Collaboration at the Governor’s Office of Sustainable Development Goals said implementing both the WPS and the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda was sacrosanct.
Yager said women and youth were not just mobilisers; they are also at the forefront of every component of peace and security.
“The livelihood component is one of the most interesting parts of this.
“As the saying goes, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” and that is part of the reason why, around the livelihood components of the YPS and WPS, we have institutionally ensured that the various programmes implemented in the state are aligned with this objective,” he said. (NAN)
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