By Tada Juthan, Maiduguri
ActionAid, in partnership with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), trains university academy members in humanitarian development and peace in the Northeast.
According to ActionAid, the humanitarian development peace (HDP) nexus was to reshape the landscape of humanitarian and development efforts in the region.
Presenting certificates to the 32 graduands over the weekend in Maiduguri, the ActionAid Programme Coordinator, Prof. Kawu Monguno, disclosed: “Today’s event marks the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of UNIMAID Academy.
“The graduates will commence to change the narrative in the way development, peace, and humanitarian activities are implemented in both the region and the entire country.
Besides changing the humanitarian narrative, the coordinator said the HDP Nexus Academy was designed to provide participants with the tools and skills of integrating peacebuilding into development and humanitarian efforts.
He noted that the trainees were engaged in a series of action-packed sessions on tackling the complexities of peacebuilding in the country.
On the challenges of training, he said that in spite of the difficulties, the trainees were able to learn in an enabling environment of the university.
According to him, 50 percent of the HDP Nexus Academy members are alumni of the university.
He also emphasised the importance of their new roles in promoting sustainable development and peacebuilding in the country.
Continued; Monguno charged them that “you’re expected to play a role in addressing the complexed humanitarian and development challenges in conflict-affected regions.
As the graduates prepared to operate in the various sectors, they also expressed optimism about applying their newfound knowledge and skills to improve the integration of humanitarian, development, and peace efforts.
Participants reflected on the valuable experiences they acquired during the training sessions and their eagerness to contribute to the betterment of Nigeria.
The ActionAid Country Director, represented by the Resilient Programme Manager (RPM), David Habba, added that the HDP nexus was to integrate peace, development, and humanitarian efforts in the six geopolitical zones.
He attributed the challenges of the HDP to lack of awareness, operational difficulties, and commitment deficiencies.
