By Godwin Igber |Makurdi
A Civil Society Organisation, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation B.B-for-Peace has inaugurated its Local Steering Committee to foster peace and security programmes with youths as the major drivers of the initiative.
The event took place Tuesday October 21, 2025 in Makurdi during the opening of a 2-day localisation write-shop on youth, peace and security, aimed at identifying key issues, priority areas, and mapping stakeholders for the Benue State Youth, Peace and Security, Y.P.S agenda.
In a presentation on the implementation of the Y.P.S Agenda at the sub-national level, the Executive Director B.B.-for-Peace, Rafiu Lawal, called on participants to champion the United Nations, (U.N) international framework on Y.P.S agenda to the national and sub national levels.
He also emphasised the need to support the efforts of youths in promoting the Y.P.S agenda by considering the five priority areas of participation, prevention, partnership, disengagement and reintegration in line with the U.N. resolutions, African Union Continental Framework and Nigeria Action Plan on Y.P.S.
According to him, Nigeria’s Action Plan has clearly stated the various ways to support youth, peace and security in promoting development initiatives at all levels, noting that every government is responsible for the plight of her youths.
In another presentation on the National Implementation Framework of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in Nigeria, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Youth, Abuja, Abdul Abdulbasit, acknowledged the key role of youths in the Y.P.S initiative, emphasising that the partnership priority has given young people the opportunity to lend their voices at the global stage.
Earlier, the Programme Officer of B.B-for-Peace, Samson Shabu, explained that the objectives of the Local Steering Committee is to help monitor the activities of Y.P.S in the State, especially considering issues of inclusivity, accountability and transparency.
Speaking to Agate News shortly after the inauguration exercise, some participants including, Moses Makeri from Civil Society Organisation Benue, and Grace Achamber from Angel Support Foundation both noted that the voices of the youths must be carried along in decision making, reaffirming the need to get more youths involved in the security and peace building process in Benue State.
The event featured the Drafting Terms of Reference for Y.P.S in Benue, and presentation of goodwill messages from the representatives of the Benue State Peace and Reconciliation Commission, State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Bureau for International Cooperation and Development, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, traditional leaders among others.
