The Nasarawa State Government is seeking to deepen its partnership with Colombia in the areas of peacebuilding, reconciliation and the prevention of violent extremism.
Governor Abdullahi Sule made this known on Sunday when he received a Colombian delegation and officials of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) at the Government House in Lafia.
The visit formed part of a field mission under the South-South Cooperation initiative between Nigeria and Colombia, with discussions centred on reintegration, reconciliation and greater participation of women in peacebuilding.
Sule acknowledged the security challenges Colombia had experienced in the past, noting that Nasarawa could draw useful lessons from the country’s experience in overcoming them.
He called on the visiting delegation to share practical strategies that could strengthen peace and security efforts in Nasarawa.
The governor also directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the state to participate in a two-day workshop where lessons from the mission would be passed on through a train-the-trainer model.
Speaking on the initiative, NCTC Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, Abimbola Wonosikou, said Nasarawa was deliberately chosen for the field mission because of its peculiar security situation.
She explained that the programme was being implemented as part of Nigeria’s ongoing South-South Cooperation with Colombia.
The leader of the Colombian delegation, Mariana Hernández, said the team had come not only to share Colombia’s experiences but also to learn from stakeholders in Nasarawa.
Hernández praised Governor Sule for approving the workshop, particularly its focus on women in leadership and their role as partners in peacebuilding.
She disclosed that the programme would also seek to empower 80 women who had been affected by different forms of violent extremism in the state.
Nasarawa, Colombia Strengthen Partnership Against Violent Extremism
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