This report was produced by SOS Children’s Villages.

SOS Children’s Villages in Nigeria, in a consortium with other partners with funding from the European Union, has been actively engaging in a project titled “Towards a Peaceful Non-Violent Election in Nigeria.” This initiative includes a series of strategic pre-election activities such as community sensitization and awareness forums, conferences of traditional and religious leaders, conferences of non-state actors, and training of youths and women on peacebuilding, conflict management, and citizen journalism before, during, and after elections.

As the lead consortium partner for Component Six (6) C of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance Programme in Nigeria (EU SDGN II), SOS Children’s Villages focuses on transforming cultural and societal norms, values, and behaviours to reduce violence, support dialogue, and negotiation, and address the fundamental causes of electoral and other conflicts across six states, representing the six geopolitical zones.

Through strategic efforts and implementation, SOS Children’s Villages carried out the following activities;

School Sensitization on Peace Building:

Secondary school students in Kaduna state government schools were sensitized on Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution to strengthen the school-based peace education programmes. This activity took place in four (4) schools with a total of 80 students and 20 teachers from the schools. Beyond the classroom, students were prepared to extend their peacebuilding efforts to their communities.

The training equipped teachers and students with the ability to resolve conflicts peacefully. These skills facilitate the resolution of disputes without resorting to violence, ensuring a more peaceful coexistence. By mediating conflicts, promoting peaceful discourse, and fostering unity, they have a direct impact on community-level peace and harmony, which is crucial for non-violent elections. There were four peace clubs in the respective schools created at the end of the training and the number of students who indicated interest and joined the peace clubs since the activity has doubled to 153 in total as of 17th July 2024.

Capacity and Peacebuilding Workshop for NYSC.

Members of the National Youth Service Corp in three states were trained as Agents of Peace and Positive Change in Their Communities in Kaduna, Borno, and Oyo States. The training brought together serving Corp members and selected staff of the NYSC in the respective states where they received training on the strategic role of the agency in contributing to the peaceful conduct of elections.

The training covered various topics including conflict prevention, conflict management, and peacebuilding. It equipped both Corp members and Staff with the knowledge of Electoral laws and the expectations of the law in the duties they discharge. At the end of the training, a total of 160 people were trained. The staff of NYSC in all the 3 states expressed their commitment to sustaining the process by incorporating the training into their orientation program for new Corp members who will be camped during orientation periods. Some Corp members have also taken action by liaising with their PPAs to include peacebuilding training for students in their respective schools. Others have offered to be volunteers during elections and conflict resolutions in their communities.

Post-election Town Hall meetings:

It has been over a year since the general elections were held in most Nigerian states, leading to new administrations and the appointment of party members to various office positions. SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria recently held a town hall meeting with relevant stakeholders to discuss the post-election landscape in Kaduna, Oyo, and Borno states. The meeting aimed to provide a platform for community stakeholders to share indigenous approaches deployed during the last election, highlighting key successes and lessons learned. The discussion identified triggers of electoral malpractice, conflict issues, and electoral gaps observed during the election, while also proposing strategies to prevent and mitigate these issues, drawing from the 2023 general elections.

The Meeting had a total of 198 persons across the 3 states of coverage. INEC pledged to accept invitations from youth groups and other organizations to conduct voter education sessions for their communities.

At the end of the town hall meeting, INEC in Kaduna state announced that it has established a platform to collaborate closely with all CSOs in the state aiming to enhance inclusion in INEC’s planning, voter education initiatives, and other electoral activities. INEC also reiterated its commitment to working with Persons with Disabilities and is open to attending any programme organised by the association aimed to foster collaboration and ensure the inclusion of PWDs in future electoral processes.

Oyo and Borno state created Peace Technical Working Groups, which identified stakeholders such as INEC, traditional and religious leaders, NYC, NOA, security agencies, and others, aimed to re-strategize and identify areas for mutual support. The goal is to enhance voter education, promote peaceful communities, and ensure peaceful elections in the states. Key recommendations from the meeting include:

•The need for the sensitization of citizens on how to recall underperforming officeholders after elections; politicians must live up to their promises or risk removal even after elections.
•Increased sensitization and awareness creation on voter education by all stakeholders.
•INEC must work towards rebuilding trust among citizens, as some have lost confidence in the process.