Zamfara Peace in Crisis, IOM Programme Ends, EU Unveils €25m N’West Intervention

Zamfara State's fragile peace is at risk due to the premature end of development support, warn stakeholders as the IOM reviews the impact of its conflict-prevention programme in the region. The warning comes amid ongoing armed banditry, kidnappings, farmer-herder conflicts, displacement, poverty, and climate pressures in the Northwest that have left communities vulnerable to renewed violence.

At a Project Steering Committee meeting in Abuja, the Zamfara State Government appealed for ongoing international support, stating that communities rebuilding their lives still face significant challenges. The CPCRR Programme, led by Governor Dauda Lawal's Commissioner for Budget and Planning Yahya Zakari, has helped communities rebuild livelihoods, strengthen local peace structures, and develop conflict prevention mechanisms.

Zakari emphasized the need for continued engagement from development partners to consolidate the programme's achievements and prevent a premature end to the gains made. The IOM Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Taha Amr, revealed that the CPCRR programme has reached nearly 70,000 beneficiaries, focusing on peacebuilding, livelihood recovery, climate resilience, protection, mental health, and access to essential services.

The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed that the EU had invested over €5 million in the CPCRR project due to the scale of conflict and displacement in the Northwest. Mignot emphasized the importance of local ownership and urged state authorities to ensure the sustainability of structures strengthened through international assistance once external funding ends.