A former Director of the Centre for Peace at the University of Maiduguri, Professor Abubakar Mu’azu, has commended the critical role of civil society organisations in addressing the lingering security challenges in Borno State, primarily through youth-driven community initiatives.
Speaking during News Central’s Town Hall series in Maiduguri, Professor Mu’azu revealed that several communities across the state have witnessed remarkable social reforms and reduced violence due to grassroots efforts led by civil societies.
“Civil society has been playing its part in various ways. There are those who engage in providing mental health and psychosocial support. But our intervention focused on organising youths in communities to resolve conflicts without violence.” he stated.
Professor Mwazu noted that since 2017, his team has worked in volatile communities including Bulunkutukaswa, Moronti, Gwenge, Meri, Benisheikh, and Bulambulin Garnam, mobilising young people under a platform known as the ‘Youth Peace Platform’. The initiative has engaged in rehabilitating youths involved in drug abuse, prostitution, and petty crime, while promoting community service and conflict resolution.
He disclosed that several youths who had previously been associated with social vices have since turned their lives around.
“One of those reformed persons is now married at 77. Two others married customs officers. A young woman we engaged with, who was prostituting, is now selling bean cakes, has built a house, and brought her mother to live with her.” Mu’azu recounted.
The programme’s impact has extended to public hygiene and security. Youths in Bulunkutukaswa voluntarily clean the streets and maintain public spaces without remuneration. This drew the attention of the International Rescue Committee, which constructed 20 toilets for the community to tackle open defecation.
To broaden their peacebuilding network, the group also facilitated an exchange programme to Plateau State, where Borno youths interacted with their counterparts in similar initiatives.
“They even created a WhatsApp group, and some who once said they had no business with Christians became very friendly. One Christian travelled from Plateau and spent a week with them in Blabalingarna.” Mu’azu revealed.
The former director also highlighted that the initiative has created employment opportunities for local youth, with 35 individuals from Bulunkutukaswa now recruited into the police constabulary.
“We don’t ask for money, and we don’t give money or jobs. But I can tell you that as a result of our work, these people are now working with the police, and that’s a victory for peacebuilding,” he concluded.
Mu’azu stressed the need for continued civil society engagement in restoring peace and rebuilding trust in conflict-affected communities in Borno and beyond.
