AIPASD Project Year 3 Begins with Community-Led Peacebuilding Review in Ortese, Benue State

Listening First: Advancing Community-Led Peacebuilding in Ortese

As we advance into Year 3 of the AIPASD Project under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme, we are beginning this new phase by listening to the voices of those on the frontlines of peacebuilding.

During our visit to the Community Peace Committee (CPC) in Ortese on July 8, 2026, we engaged with residents of one of the communities most affected by conflict in Benue State. Community members shared inspiring stories of resilience, collaboration, and local leadership, demonstrating how locally owned peace structures continue to strengthen relationships and prevent conflict.

Participants explained how the knowledge, practical skills, and peacebuilding approaches introduced during Years 1 and 2 are being applied to facilitate dialogue, address emerging tensions, and promote peaceful coexistence within the community.

These conversations reaffirmed an important lesson: sustainable peace cannot be built through external interventions alone. It depends on empowered communities that understand their challenges, lead local solutions, and take ownership of the peacebuilding process.

Seeing previous lessons translated into everyday action gives us renewed confidence as we begin the third year of implementation. It also highlights the vital role of community peace committees as trusted grassroots platforms for dialogue, mediation, early conflict prevention, and social cohesion.

As we embark on this new phase, GoGreen remains committed to working alongside traditional and community leaders, women, young people, and other local stakeholders to strengthen peace structures, build resilience, and create a safer and more hopeful future for all.

Nigeria SPRiNG | UK in Nigeria | UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | Tetra Tech International Development Services | Civil Society Organizations, Benue State | Azurfa Women—Nigeria | The Kukah Centre | Elohim Development Foundation

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