CDD targets grassroots peace-building with advocacy, dialogue training

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

In response to rising community tensions and the growing influence of misinformation and hate speech in northern Nigeria, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) launched a two-day training-of-trainers programme in Kaduna State aimed at strengthening grassroots peace-building and civic engagement. The programme, which brought together facilitators, community-based organisations (CBOs), and civil society organisations (CSOs), is a part of a broader regional intervention by CDD to equip community actors with advocacy and dialogue skills needed to address conflicts and rebuild trust at the local level.

At the core of the training was the use of dialogue as a conflict prevention and management tool.

Facilitator, Mr Edosa Oviawe, framed dialogue not merely as conversation but as a structured process that promotes mutual understanding, respect for diversity, collective problem-solving, and long-term trust-building.

According to Oviawe, inclusive dialogue is particularly crucial in fragile communities where women, youths, ethnic minorities, religious groups, and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) are often excluded from decision-making processes, yet remain the most affected by conflict and social instability.

Beyond dialogue, the training also addressed the increasingly disruptive role of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and hate speech (MDH) in community relations.

Oviawe noted that false and harmful narratives have become key drivers of mistrust, polarisation, and violence, especially in politically and ethnically sensitive environments.

Participants were therefore exposed to community-based strategies for detecting and countering MDH, with emphasis on calm engagement, fact-based communication, and early intervention to prevent escalation.

For participants like Lady Rahila Ishaku Baita, Executive Director of the Dogara Community Development Foundation, the training speaks directly to realities on the ground.

With many communities facing unresolved grievances, insecurity, and weak state presence, she said empowering local actors to facilitate dialogue offers a practical pathway to managing tensions before they spiral into open conflict.

CDD Assistant Programme Officer, Mr. Peter Yohanna, explained that the Kaduna training is part of a multi-state initiative spanning Benue, Katsina, and Plateau — states that have recorded recurrent communal, ethnic, and religious conflicts in recent years.