Peace Cord Nigeria

30/01/2026

The results of peace is mostly experienced by individuals and communities we serve. Beyond Conflict supported the action plan of participants from the social cohesion and identity-based polarization workshop organized in 2025 at Zango-Urban Community of Zango Kataf LGA Kaduna State. Peace Cord Nigeria facilitated the capacity strengthening sessions and ensured communities' commitment to own, cooperate and buy-into re-training non-participants resident in their communities to promote interfaith collaborations, social cohesion and peacebuilding.

Interfaith collaboration not only fosters mutual understanding but also plays a crucial role in reducing community tensions and fostering a more peaceful society.

Lessons learnt during the sessions focused more on building on shared values such as compassion, peace, and service to others. Effectively collaborating and working together to address shared social concerns, such as poverty, education, or community service. Sustained, patient effort is required to build relationships across different faiths, overcoming prejudice and misconceptions. Active listening and creating comfortable, inclusive spaces for dialogue (such as being mindful of the environment) are essential for productive communication. Successful initiatives often require clear, shared goals, while being mindful of the labels used to ensure they do not hinder progress. It is important to confront one's own biases and stigmas to foster true, respectful engagement.

Thanks to Beyond Conflict for supporting the project ''Bridging Divides; Building Peace: Promotion of Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) for Sustainable Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion.

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Beyond Conflict in collaboration with Peace Cord Nigeria is implementing a project titled "Bridging Divides; Building Peace: Promotion of Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) for Sustainable Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion in Zongo-Kataf LGA Southern-Kaduna, Kaduna State". Key community leaders and stakeholders were engaged and trained to prevent Identity-based polarization and promote peacebuilding for social impact and transformation.

As a ripple effect, some of the participants took ownership; and organized a one-day step-down community sensitization meeting with 36 key community leaders in attendance including notable women in Kamuru community of Zango Kataf LGA Kaduna State aimed at fostering social cohesion at a large scale for social impact.

Building social cohesion requires a long-term, integrated, and locally-driven approach focused on fostering a sense of trust, belonging, and shared purpose among diverse groups in Kamuru community.

Thanks a lot Beyond Conflict for your support towards promoting social cohesion and building lasting relationships in highly fragile context of Northern Nigeria.

03/01/2026

Peace Cord Nigeria cordially appreciates its partners (Beyond Conflict, Bellwether International, FoRB Women's Alliance, Ashia Community Foundation, Mission 21, JDPC JOS, ) in the year 2025. You have been an amazing partner throughout the year 2025.

We at Peace Cord Nigeria are indeed grateful for your funding support, capacity strengthening efforts, leadership and mentorship. Looking forward to a more fruitful partnership and networking for peace, social cohesion, community transformation and nation building.

Thank you for your commitment.
Looking forward to an amazing partnership in 2026.

29/12/2025

Beyond Conflict in collaboration with Peace Cord Nigeria supported the step-down of action plans designed on the project titled "Bridging Divides; Building Peace: Promotion of Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) for Sustainable Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion in Zongo-Kataf LGA Southern-Kaduna, Kaduna State Nigeria".



The project participants designed and implemented an action plan in Gora Gan Community of Zango Kataf LGA in Kaduna State addressing poor children up bringing as a major contributing factor to identity-based polarization and violent conflicts in the region.

Over 60 participants (Christians, Muslims and Traditional Practitioners) were registered for the event and key lessons learnt were:

Parents and community leaders should emphasize empathy, respect, boundaries, and communication, fostering skills through inclusive play and diversity education, creating strong family bonds via open dialogue, and recognizing that early development lays the groundwork for lifelong connections and community harmony.

Key takeaways emphasize nurturing emotional intelligence, promoting positive social interaction, and building self-esteem to create well-adjusted individuals who contribute positively to society.

The participants showed commitment to promote interfaith collaboration to foster social cohesion and peacebuilding in their local communities.

Peace Cord Nigeria, Ashia Community Foundation and the Gora Gan community of Zango Kataf LGA sincerely appreciate Beyond Conflict for their support and mentoring in this pilot phase of the project.


Lou Ann Sabatier, Plan International Nigeria, International Alert, FoRB Women's Alliance, Bege Foundation, Beyond Conflict, EUGENE .A. SEIDU, Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba, PhD, Mission 21, Christian Aid, Search For Common Ground Nigeria, Ashia Community Foundation, UN Women, Melania Trump - Impersonated,

30/11/2025

Beyond Conflict in collaboration with Peace Cord Nigeria is implementing a project in Northern Nigeria to address identity-based polarization in fragile communities of Zango-Kataf LGA in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State Nigeria.

A 3-days Trauma healing and psychosocial support (PSS) workshop was conducted using experiential learning methods for selected participants who have been victims of domestic violence, conflicts and SGBV in the project locations.

The workshop promoted experiential learning methods to improve coping mechanisms, reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and enhance overall well-being. Some of the workshop findings and recommendations are:

Improved Coping and Functioning which effectively lead to better coping mechanisms, higher self-efficacy, and improved functioning among participants.

Women and children bear the brunt of conflict and SGBV in the community therefore establishing strong perceived social support and community integration is significantly associated with positive trauma recovery outcomes.

The effectiveness of trauma healing interventions is heavily dependent on adapting the program to the specific cultural and local contexts, including utilizing indigenous healing practices where safe and appropriate.

Trauma Healing and Psycho-social programs should be guided by core principles: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.

Develop interventions that leverage existing social networks and community-based organizations to provide sustainable support and integration.

Conduct thorough assessments to ensure interventions are culturally sensitive and safe, integrating local conceptions of distress and healing where possible.

Address a wide range of needs, including basic services and security, and focus on outcomes beyond just mental health to include social dimensions and overall well-being.

27/11/2025

Nigeria is recognized as a deeply diverse society with a plurality of ethnic, religious, and regional identities, which has historically led to challenges in national integration. The national motto, in fact, is "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress," underscoring the importance placed on national cohesion.
Beyond Conflict in Collaboration with Peace Cord Nigeria is creating pathways for peace in polarized communities in Northern Nigeria and Its Environs....
Let's work for peace and unity... Let's address our dividers.

08/11/2025

Beyond Conflict is collaborating with Peace Cord Nigeria on the project title: "Bridging Divides; Building Peace: Promotion of Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) for Sustainable Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion in Zango-Kataf LGA Kaduna State Nigeria" implemented a Roundtable Discussion (October 2025 Edition) for Women Leaders in the project location. The objective of the meeting was to discuss and generate solutions to effective women and young female participation mitigating conflicts and insecurity in Zango-Kataf LGA to improve tolerance, ensure trust-building and also promote inclusive communities for social cohesion in which ethnic and religious groups become sustainable advocates of peace, social justice and development. The meeting took place at Kamyim Hotel Zonkwa, Zango Kataf LGA Kaduna State on Friday 24th October 2025.

Lessons Learned:
Sustainable peace requires addressing the underlying causes of conflict and fragility, such as injustice, human rights violations, inequality, social exclusion, poverty, poor resource management, and weak institutions.

Successful prevention relies on an awareness of potential conflict situations, the ability to analyze relevant information, and the political will to take action when needed. Early prevention is more cost-effective than late intervention.

Sustainable solutions require the meaningful involvement and participation of a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society, women's groups, youth, and marginalized communities. Excluding groups (potential spoilers) can hinder progress.

Community dialogue initiatives, mediation mechanisms, and confidence-building visits are crucial for addressing mutual grievances, rebuilding trust, and fostering social cohesion among previously divided communities.

Recommendations
Strengthen Early Warning Mechanisms: Improve synergies between local, national, regional, continental, and international early-warning structures to facilitate timely and appropriate action.

Invest in Community-Based Approaches: Support community-based approaches to peacebuilding that focus on rebuilding social capital and include common projects like service delivery and livelihood programs to reframe perceptions and facilitate dialogue.

Provide Essential Public Services: Ensure that governments are able to provide essential public services to the population, including safety, health, education, and access to resources, as a lack of these can rapidly re-escalate tensions.
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30/10/2025

Women Participation in Strengthening Interfaith Dialogue and Collaboration for Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion is the beginning of the desired change and transformation we seek in Gora, Ikulu, Zango Urban, Kamantan and Zonkwa Communities in Zango Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State.

Through dialogue we can find common ground. This is where peace and social cohesion begins....Thank you

29/10/2025

Security: Discussion on Security Performance with focus on protecting lives, properties and livelihoods in Zango-Kataf LGA Kaduna State Nigeria.

Peace Cord Nigeria supported by Beyond Conflict organized a security roundtable discussions on fostering greater collaboration between agencies and civil society, prioritizing human security, and leveraging technology and improved intelligence. The Police, Civil Defense, Hunters Association/Forest Guards and Army were in attendance. The discussions were a response to ongoing security challenges such as terrorism, banditry, robbery/theft and kidnapping that have affected Zango-Kataf LGA Kaduna State Nigeria.

After an intensive discussion on security in the region few recommendations were suggested by the officers represented in the meeting, thus:

Strengthening inter-agency and civic collaboration: The government and CSOs should institutionalize regular, meaningful dialogue between security forces and communities through platforms like town halls, workshops and seminars.

Addressing welfare: The government and communities should establish better welfare provisions for security personnel, possibly through a new National Fund to support law enforcement.

Improving strategic communication: Utilize social media and youth influencers to counter misinformation and improve public perception of security efforts.

Legislative support for accountability: Engage lawmakers to push for reforms that improve relations between security forces and citizens.

National security focus: Connect human security—including food security, job security, and cybersecurity—to the broader goal of national security.

Combating unemployment: Implement an emergency initiative for job creation to address the high rate of unemployment, which is seen as a contributing factor to insecurity.

22/10/2025

Zango-Kataf LGA of Kaduna State still faces situations of security threats where parties in conflict are faced with threats of violence as a result of reprisal attacks, banditry, killings in farmlands, kidnappings, robbery, destruction of livelihoods and properties in communities. The LGA, over the years has faces instability despite efforts by the government, security institutions and organizations to ensure peace and security. The efforts put in place by the security actors have not been able to cover much of the needed areas to deliver a complete state of security assurances. This limitations in the efforts towards ensuring the security of the LGA has denied people of their human rights, loss of livelihoods, polarized communities, claimed thousands of lives and properties.

Peace Cord Nigeria supported by Beyond Conflict implemented a one-day Solution-Based Roundtable Discussion with the theme "Building a Security Architecture for Safer Gora, Ikulu, Zango Urban, Kamantan and Zonkwa Communities in Zango Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State" with an overall goal of identifying gaps and vulnerabilities, strengthening local capacity of stakeholders to mitigate risks, designing a response plan for incidents and ultimately protect lives and communities’ properties in the region.

Thirty-one (31) state-level stakeholders and community members were in attendance. The participants represented the security agencies (Army, Police, Civil Defense, Vigilante Group and Hunters Association), Traditional Leaders, Religious Leaders and Ardos (Hausa Fulani Herders) in the region.

Some Key Lessons learnt and resolutions during the roundtable discussion were:

(1) A multidisciplinary approach is required in addressing the security issues of the region. Security cannot be treated as a purely technical or isolated issue; it must be integrated with political, economic and social dimensions of the region.

(2) Psycho-social and traumatized communities of Zango-Kataf LGA cannot be immune to insecurity; there is a need to provide support for healing of victims of violence.

(3) Psychological drivers of division can be reduced through effective dialogues and mediation programing based on a thorough understanding of the specific local context of Zango-Kataf LGA and its unique challenges.