By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

Youth facilitators have concluded a gender-inclusive peacebuilding training across Zangon Kataf and Kagarko Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, equipping participants with mediation skills and sexual and reproductive health knowledge.

The project,supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), is implemented by the Youth Network for Community and Sustainable Development to strengthen youth-led conflict mediation in affected communities.

Project Manager and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights expert, Ekene Peter Okolo, said the initiative was designed to address power imbalances often ignored in conventional conflict resolution.

He explained that many conflicts are wrongly viewed as disputes between equal parties, whereas deeper social and patriarchal dynamics influence outcomes, especially for women and girls.

Okolo said the project integrates Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights into mediation processes to prevent patriarchal systems from undermining justice during peace negotiations.

He noted that youths were deliberately chosen as mediators because of their energy, availability and frequent involvement in community conflicts, making them strategic drivers of peace.

According to him, participants were drawn inclusively from various communities, ensuring at least one literate representative per community to support documentation despite literacy challenges.

He disclosed that peace circles were unofficially inaugurated at the end of the sessions and would be formalised in coming months to serve as community-based mediation structures.

Each peace circle, he said, has no single leader, as all members share responsibility, while a secretary coordinates activities and documentation.

He added that the circles would work in consultation with community heads and other authorities to mediate disputes collectively.

Facilitator and communications expert, Marvelous Obot, said the five-day sessions in each area covered peacebuilding, mediation, climate resilience and gender-based violence.

Obot emphasised that participants were taught that violence is costly, while peace is sustainable and beneficial to communities.

He said youths were trained to design agreements between farmers and herders, a recurring source of tension in the areas.

According to him, the peace circles would function as community infrastructure for maintaining stability and would be linked with existing peace structures and security agencies.

Peace and Gender Advocate, Mendie Jeremiah, said ten communities, five each from Kagarko and Zangon Kataf, were intentionally selected due to prevalent farmer-herder conflicts.

Jeremiah clarified that the training also addressed land disputes and other forms of conflict beyond farmer-herder clashes.

He said referral pathways were created to link youths with the Office of the Assistant to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolution, the Ministry of Justice, police and Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

He stressed that cases such as rape are criminal matters beyond community mediation and must be reported for psychosocial, medical and legal intervention.

A participant, Solomon Clement from Zonkwa community described the training as impactful and educational, highlighting tools like the onion and tree models for identifying root causes of conflict.

He cited land disputes between farmers seeking harvests and herders seeking grazing routes as major triggers in his community.

Another participant, Rashida Jibril from Zango Urban, said she learned that rape cases must be referred to human rights bodies and law enforcement agencies without regard to a perpetrator’s status.

Similarly, Huraira Ussaini from Jere said she gained skills to mediate farmer-herder clashes and handle sexual violence cases by preserving evidence and reporting to authorities.

She pledged to work with traditional leaders upon returning home to promote peaceful coexistence.

Reuben David from Kurmin Lemu, thanked the organisers, noting that peace is essential for societal progress and promising to step down mediation skills to his community.