From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) has launched the Safety, Peace, and Resilience in Communities (SPARCs) initiative to strengthen early warning, response, and resilience systems across eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Anambra, Benue, Katsina, and Plateau states.
The programme equips communities to anticipate and mitigate crises, including conflicts and natural disasters.
Funded by the UK’s Integrated Security Fund and implemented with the Neem Foundation, SPARCs concluded its capacity-building phase in April 2025, as announced by OSPRE Programme Manager Hafsah Matazu.
She explained that embedding early warning structures within local governments revitalises grassroots governance. OSPRE Director-General Chris Ngwodo reinforced this, stating, “recovery and stabilisation must begin with restoring functionality to the third tier of government. Building peace starts from the ground up.”
Matazu noted that training sessions in Awka South and Idemili North (Anambra), Oju and Vandeikya (Benue), and LGAs in Katsina and Plateau covered conflict prevention, emergency preparedness, gender-sensitive security, and data analysis.
Participants, including local government officials, vigilante groups, security agencies, and women and youth representatives, received tools like training manuals, computers, mobile phones, flashlights, and digital data-gathering devices.
At an After-Action Review Forum, Ngwodo thanked the UK Government for supporting safer communities and reaffirmed OSPRE’s commitment, established in 2022 under ECOWAS frameworks, to promote local governance and national stability. Furthermore, Matazu highlighted that SPARCs identified gaps in existing community early warning systems, tailoring solutions to local needs.
Participants praised the initiative’s timeliness amid rising vulnerabilities. Abdullahi Ibrahim Lawal from the Katsina State Emergency Management Board said, “security is a responsibility for all,” emphasising shared community roles. Dr Julie Sanda, Director-General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, noted that SPARCs strengthened links between communities and local governments, enhancing citizens’ security roles.
Similarly, Anambra’s Special Adviser on Security, Air Vice Marshal Ben Chiobi (retd), described SPARCs as “a game changer in mainstreaming technology in safety and security in communities.”