The policy brief, "IS BENUE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO CREATING A PEACEFUL AND PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS TO THRIVE?" By Nathaniel Msen Awuapila who is Executive Facilitator/CEO CORAFID has as its purpose and objective to address three key questions relating to: The state of human security in Benue State; The circumstance of women, youths, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and children; and, how Benue State Government can create a peaceful and protective. environment for all citizens to thrive in the State.

1. 0

2. 1
Executive Summary
This policy brief addresses three key questions relating to: the state of human security in Benue State; the circumstance
of women, youths, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and children based on the subject matter; and, how Government
can create a peaceful and protective environment for all citizens to thrive in the State.
Benue State Government under the APC led administration of Chief Dr Samuel Ortom chose for itself the mission to
“collectively mould a new Benue”. To realize this vision, government prioritized five Strategic Programme Areas. Two of
them seek: to drive an industrialization policy that targets agriculture as mainstay of Benue economy; and, to establish
institutions and agencies that can effectively promote gender mainstreaming and enhance service delivery to women,
children, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). The administration wants to be known all over the world as a
champion of the rights of women, children, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
However, Benue State has a population of more than 5 million people, which is divided nearly equally between females
and males. While the State is known as Food Basket of the Nation with 70% of the population engaged in the
agricultural sector of the economy, the National Population Census figures as gazetted in 2009 showed that 61.69% of
population is very young (0-19 years) or very old (60-85+) while 40% or more within the age range of 20-69 years old
lack educational attainment. The National bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2010 placed poverty incidence in the State at
77.9% while the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) shows that only 36.9% of Benue children can
meet their basic needs for shoes, clothing and a blanket as 25% of the overall orphans in the country live in Benue.
The State is also vulnerable to multiple human security risks which increase women and children‟s exposure to violence,
abuse, exploitation, and neglect, and the Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 shows that these risks
tends to increase during humanitarian emergencies. Available statistics indicate that risk of exposure to violence for
women and children in the State is very high as the State ranks second in incidence of physical violence against
women, third in incidence of sexual violence against women, and second in violence against pregnant women (NDHS
2013). Violence against children is found to be high as well. According to the 2014 Violence Against Children Study
(VACS) report more than 50% of children experience physical violence and many boys and girls are exposed to risk of
sexual and emotional violence, which occur at home, in school and in the community. A 2015 Conflict Sensitivity and
Peace Assessment by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) indicates that Benue youths are also excluded from decision
making at the community level and that community elders treat their involvement in peace and security issues where it
involves decision making as usurpation of the elders‟ prerogative. Women and PWDs are similarly treated.
According to study findings the trail of humanitarian emergencies in the State affected more than 40,000 households
between 2012 and February 2016. Meanwhile, the CRS study quoted above found that 2015 also recorded 56.66% of
violent events compared to previous years. In the light of these challenges government will need to review its system for
addressing the problems of abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable members of society as current
practices in the State have been found to be fragmentary and weak. Important gaps have also been identified in the
areas of inter-sectorial and inter-agency collaboration, as well as weaknesses in capacity for timely intervention and
prevention of violence and violent conflict, as well as absence of a mechanism for comprehensive coordination of
Government relationship with civil society.
Consequently, Government is strongly recommended to: establish a Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) and
relevant sub-groups as advocated by UNHCR Makurdi Field Unit for the purpose of collaborative, principled,
coordinated humanitarian action during emergencies; implement in full the recommendations of the 2014 Child
Protection Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State to ensure that children are adequately
protected; develop a robust violence prevention and peacebuilding mechanism as well as an adequate mechanism for
coordination of Government relationship with its local civil society. This will strengthen collective capacity to prevent and
mitigate conflict and as well increase resilience. Civil society platforms on their part are encouraged to devise synergy
building strategies including formation of relevant mechanism to address existing performance gaps in the sector.

3. 2
Introduction
The mission of Benue State Government under the APC led administration of Chief Dr Samuel Ortom is “To collectively
mould a new Benue by providing Critical Infrastructure, STEAM-Based Education, Healthcare, Agriculture-Driven
Industrialization through Good Governance and Gender-responsive Policies”. The Administration has prioritized five
Strategic Programme Areas to focus on, two of which are relevant for consideration in this policy brief. One of the focus
areas is to drive an industrialization policy that targets agriculture as mainstay of Benue economy. The other is, to
establish institutions and agencies that can effectively promote gender mainstreaming and enhance service delivery to
women, Children, youth, and persons with disabilities. Benue State Government seeks to create a State that “must be
known worldwide as a champion of the rights of these vulnerable groups” (Our Collective Vision for a New Benue 2015-
2019). The answer to the question of whether Government can achieve its self-assigned mission depends on how
clearly Government understands and is purposefully committed to addressing the human security situation in the State.
Benue State presents a list of indicators that will make it a location of interest to development planners, but especially
scholars and practitioners in the protection sector and the peacebuilding field. The State has a large geographical area
with a population of more than 5 million people that are about equally divided between females and males and between
adults and children while up to 70% of the population work in the agricultural sector of the economy. However, the state
is regularly confronted with adverse conditions such as natural disasters, violent conflicts, and frequent acts of violence,
neglect, abuse, and exploitation of vulnerable members of society including women, children, youths and persons with
disabilities. The State also faces the daunting problem of educational disadvantage, which affects a large proportion of
the State‟s active population.
This policy brief draws attention to the seriousness of these indicators and challenges Government to utilize its growing
private sector and available international development partners, as well as the potentially vibrant civil society sector in
order to address human security risks in the State. Once the human security risks are addressed, Benue State
Government will be on the way to achieving food security and a peaceful, just and inclusive society that is free of fear
and violence.
Context analysis
The 2006 National Population Census placed Benue State population at 4,253,641 of which 2,109,598 females and
2,144,043 males (NPC 2009). This was projected to reach 5,614,066 by 2015 (Amee Tser, 2013). Benue has a
geographical area of 30,800 km2 (NBS, 2010), making it 11th largest state in the country. The State is known as Food
Basket of the Nation and 70% of the population work in the agricultural sector.
The proportion of citizens in Benue State aged 0-19 years and 60-85+ years is 61.69%. More than 40% of the
population aged 20-69 years old is without educational attainment (NPC, 2009). Poverty incidence in Benue is 77.9%,
which is higher than the national poverty incidence of 65% (NBS 2010). The wellbeing of Benue children is also
compromised as the state claims the highest percentage of orphans (25%) in the country. Meanwhile, only 36.9% of all
Benue children are able to meet their basic needs for shoes, clothing and a blanket (NDHS, 2013). A 2015 conflict
sensitivity and peace assessment by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) suggests that youths in Benue State are also
excluded from participation in decision making at the community level and that women and persons with disabilities
(PWD) are similarly excluded. Youth involvement in peace and security issues is perceived as usurpation of the elders‟
prerogative where it involves decision making on the part of youths (Awuapila, 2015A). The overall statistics for Benue
thus suggests that the proportion of economically and socially dependent persons is high while many of those who
should lead the social and economic development of the State (those of 20-60 years old) are poorly educated. As an
agricultural society with a large pool of its human resources educationally disadvantaged, this suggests that the
adoption of advanced agricultural technology to eliminate poverty in the land, and economic development generally, will
be slow in the State.

4. 3
Benue citizens are also exposed to various risks and threats. A 2007 study by Centre for Law Enforcement and
Education presented Benue as 3rd most unsafe state in Nigeria (Nigeria Watch, 2007) while NAPTIP in 2009 identified
Benue as the „number one state‟ in North Central Zone in human trafficking and the 10th in the country. This was
attributed to conflict incidence and the State‟s proximity to endemic states like Cross River and international boundary
with Cameroun (Sissoko M. and Jedy-Agba B., 2012). By February 2011 the WANEP Nigeria early warning system
reported 65% decrease in sense of public security and 70% risk for assassination and use of small arms and light
weapons for Benue State. Women and children (boys and girls) continue to be exposed to multiple risks of abuse,
exploitation and social violence. For example, 72% of women suffer physical violence, 16.9% of them during pregnancy.
At least 20.3% of women experience sexual violence while 65.7% of widows are dispossessed of family wealth upon
death of their husbands. Nationally, Benue ranks second in incidence of physical violence against women, third in
incidence of sexual violence against women, and second in violence against pregnant women. Most perpetrators have a
domestic relationship with the victim while 17.9% of physical abusers of women are teachers (NDHS, 2013). Meanwhile,
children from the age of 10 years are forced into marriage in Benue, of which 76.5% are females aged 10-19 years
(NPC, 2009). The 2014 Violence Against Children Study (VACS) in Nigeria also showed that one in two children
experience physical violence and one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual violence, while one in six girls
and one in five boys experience emotional violence. Fifteen percent (15%) of girls‟ and 25% of boys‟ first experience of
sexual violence is at school and 1 in 7 girls become pregnant as a result of unwanted sex. A child protection risk map of
the State conducted in 2015 as part of process for formulation of Benue State Child Protection Policy identified 12 key
risks that children are known to be exposed to. The probability of children coming to harm was ranked high or very high
in the case of exploitation, child labour, denial (of rights), trauma, discrimination, neglect, starvation (hunger), insults,
beating (physical abuse), while rape was ranked as medium. This suggests that there is no adequately protective
environment for citizens, particularly women and children (boys and girls), and that less attention is given to ensuring
that children in the State can live to realize their full potentials.
The Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 indicated that risk of violence against women and girls, and
against children increases during humanitarian emergencies and post conflict settings. This was reaffirmed by the World
Health Assembly on May 24, 2014. The history of Benue State is associated with a trail of complex humanitarian
emergencies that require competent humanitarian action. The flooding of River Benue in 2012 resulted in the internal
displacement of 25,000 households. In 2014, 16,526 households were affected1 by violent conflicts (Awuapila, 2015B),
hundreds of which migrated to other parts of the country (Awuapila, 2015C). A recent study by Catholic Relief Services
(CRS) revealed that 2015 recorded 56.66% of violent events compared to previous years. This implied that conflicts
were on the rise in 2015 in Benue State (Awuapila, 2015A). As expected, in 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016 the
Family Unit of Benue State Police Command reported an increase of crimes against children including rape, teenage
pregnancies, abduction and child trafficking. In the wake of renewed violence in the state 10,000 persons are known to
have been displaced and at least 300 cumulative deaths recorded across Agatu and in Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Ukum,
and Logo as of February 2016. An independent study by Clionadh Raleigh and Caitriona Dowd indicates that many
unarmed civilians are attacked during conflict. According to the findings, unarmed civilians in Benue were targeted 40%
of the duration of battles and riots/protests by armed groups between 1997 and 2013 (Clionadh Raleigh & Caitriona
Dowd, April 2013). These wanton attacks tend to increase citizens‟ feeling of insecurity.
Benue State may be experiencing an intractable conflict situation as there is also no adequate conflict management
system in place or an agency to coordinate peacebuilding programmes. Government engagement with civil society,
particularly civil society organizations (CSOs), is also weak in the State. Consequently, the State has serious human
security challenges. A WANEP Nigeria study conducted in 2015, for example, found that interventions to address
conflicts across Nigeria‟s North Central Zone including in Benue State are not implemented when most required; they
also hardly address the root causes of conflict. The study found that violent conflict was most prevalent in the zone from
1
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported this in terms of number of communities when it said
that 100 communities were displaced by the conflict (http://dailypost.ng/2014/03/24/herdsmen-displaced-100-
communities-benue-nema/).

5. 4
2001 to 2008 while the highest level of interventions came from 2013 to 2014. The study found that intervening
organizations tended to address conflict manifestations at the LGA level and dealt less with issues at the state or
national level where by virtue of Nigeria‟s federal structure the causative and structural factors could be addressed. The
CRS 2015 study cited above also found that official approach to conflict in the State is the security approach which
usually addresses conflict manifestations and a bit of proximate factors but hardly the root causes. This implies that the
peace and security situation in the State is volatile without guarantees for effective management.
The system for addressing the problems of abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable members of Benue
society is fragmentary and weak. The laws and policies in place for addressing these problems are weak or they are not
fully implemented. Programmes to address these issues are often poorly conceived or poorly funded or not well
coordinated. For example, no law exists specifically to address violence in the State in a manner that is consistent with
international standards. The State lacks a Gender Policy and no evidence exists that the National Gender Policy is
mainstreamed into State operational plans to address gender inequalities beyond having a certain number of women in
positions of authority. The Child‟s Rights Law was enacted in 2008 to serve as a law to protect children, however it is
still not fully implemented as the State is yet to have a functional Family Court and child justice administration has
remained weak. The 2014 Child Protection Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State
identified child protection gaps in every operational area. The study identified poor implementation of laws and policies,
lack of appropriate standards and regulations, weaknesses in cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanism,
inadequate capacity, weaknesses in service delivery mechanisms, gaps in communication capability, and poor funding.
It is also known that funding for the social sector is dominated by development partners without commensurate
government contribution and control, except perhaps since 2015. Consequently, no budget is allocated for
peacebuilding, violence prevention, or child protection in the State. This implies that Benue State Government must
define and prioritize a development agenda that includes violence prevention, peacebuilding, and comprehensive
programmes for vulnerable citizens as a condition for development partners to be expected to provide comprehensive
support in these areas.
The United Nations regards civil society as an important stakeholder in the development process and consults actors in
the sector regularly as well as supports them with ample funding to make sure they remain vibrant. In Benue State the
civil society sector is fragmented and on the brink of failure because of poor funding, weak coordination and competition
to meet the narrow interests of development organizations. Indeed, nearly every civil society network in Benue was
established with funding from DFID, Global Fund, USAID, or UNICEF as part of project outputs and it appears like
sustainability beyond the project implementation phase was not factored. No funding exists for civil society in the State
to carry out research and evidence based programming that addresses the specific policy and development needs of
the State. Available funding opportunities exist mostly for predetermined interventions by international organizations. In
most cases Benue CSOs only get funded when they are willing to implement what the donors have decided as their
priority. Consequently, many civil society organizations lack strong research capability and demonstrated capacity to
inform and influence government policy. The Child Protection Network (CPN), however, presents an interesting story of
unusual resilience, yet it is still bedeviled with problems of funding. For example, UNICEF collaborated with the State to
establish CPN in 2011 but no form of empowerment apart from trainings was provided to the Network. The Network was
neither provided an office space by Government or UNICEF nor minimal funding for case management purposes. The
Network, however, thrived on the voluntary donations of its members and has made significant contributions to children
programmes in the State. For example, CPN has served on every programme and nearly every committee established
by Government to address children‟s protection concerns, the most recent of which include: Technical Working Group
on Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment (2014-2015), Technical Steering Committee on VC (2014-date),
State Improvement Team on VC (2014-date), State Child‟s Rights Implementation Committee (2014-date), Child
Protection System Learning Group (2015-date), State Fostering and Adoption Committee, and Committee to Address
Child Hawking during School Hours (2016). CPN also, among other things, co-facilitated the Child Protection Policy
development for the State, is participating in the vetting of Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 for the
purpose of domestication (ongoing). However, neither the State Government nor UNICEF provides minimal funding to
support CPN activities. UNICEF uses CPN as a social marketing tool including for the purpose of knowledge sharing

6. 5
with stakeholders and review or planning meetings while it funds other platforms when it comes to programme
implementation. This means that the civil society sector in the State has not been supported to grow and become vibrant
in order to take up their appropriate roles with dignity and integrity.
In a federal system like Nigeria, it is understood that collaboration to address abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect,
which tend to increase when violent conflicts occur, cannot be the responsibility of a State Government alone. This is
because some key agencies with mandate for social welfare and development are controlled by the federal government.
A number of critical agencies have identified violent conflict as an obstacle to programme implementation including
National Human Rights Commission (NAP, 2009-2013), Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the line
MDAs with responsibility for children (NPA, 2013-2020). However, the policy environment presents obvious gaps in the
thinking, design and operationalization of plans to address societal violence. For example, the country urgently needs a
peacebuilding architecture that is sufficient and effective, yet Nigeria has only a draft National Peace Policy that has not
been ratified since 2007. The preparation of the National Priority Agenda (NPA) for Vulnerable Children in Nigeria
(2013-2020) was informed by Nigeria Vision 20:2020 policy document and the NPA adopted six commitments toward
safeguarding children in the country, Commitment 2 of which seeks to ensure that “all children are safe from abuse,
violence, exploitation and neglect”. However, Nigeria Vision 20:2020 does not define specific targets for this
commitment but only provides for finalization and operationalization of standards of practice to address emergency and
disaster contexts. Furthermore, the NPA asserts the coordination role of the Federal and State Ministries of Women
Affairs and Social Development (F/MWASD) and key roles of other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) but it
does not assign the health ministry any specific role. Yet, based on 2004 and 2014 resolutions of the World Health
Assembly of which Nigeria is an active member, there is supposed to be a focal point within Nigeria‟s Ministry of Health
who sees to preparation and implementation of an action plan to address violence against women and children. This
implies that the policy direction of government does not present the robustness that is required to effectively address the
human security situation of Benue State.
Common protection concerns
Protection concerns exist on several fronts in Benue State, including physical abuses against women and pregnant
women, sexual and gender based violence against women, girls and children, and child neglect. These concerns occur
all the time but tend to increase during humanitarian emergencies. The problem of disregard for rights of persons with
disabilities is a significant problem for prioritization including during humanitarian emergencies. The right of youths to
participate in decision making at the community level requires to be protected, both in humanitarian contexts and at
other times. Often, during humanitarian emergencies, schools are closed down either because they are attacked by
armed groups or because they are converted to IDP camps. Ensuring that children continue to access education even
during humanitarian emergencies is an important area of concern. A significant percentage of abuses against women
and children are perpetrated by persons related to the victims and in schools by teachers and school mates. This is a
serious protection concern because places normally regarded as protective environments are actually also places where
abuses against vulnerable members of the society are perpetrated.
Exposure to all types of violence, especially for women and children, has been strongly linked to negative health
consequences on the brain and nervous system, and immune and endocrine function. Victims of violent behaviour tend
to resort to smoking, alcohol and drug use, as an effort to cope with the psychological impact of violence. Children who
suffer violence and grow up in environments without the benefit of safe, stable and nurturing relationships have
challenges with forming relationships and lack capacity for empathy for others in distress. Both the perpetrator and
victim of violence against women have been shown to be associated with high-risk sexual behaviours. Some of these
behaviours are known to result to heart disease, stroke, cancer, child trafficking and smuggling of persons, „unwanted
pregnancies‟, and HIV/AIDS. Women who have experienced intimate partner violence have a 16% greater chance of
having a low birth weight baby and more than twice likely to have an induced abortion. Victims of violence are also at
higher risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behaviour. Many persons who suffer
violence fail to seek help, which prolongs or increases their suffering, compounding the negative effects that they suffer.
Some indirect costs of violence include: spells of unemployment, absenteeism, long-term disability, and other health

7. 6
problems that affect job performance and cause persistent fears for personal safety (Alexander Butchart & Christopher
Mikton, 2014).
Key peacebuilding and protection gaps
Humanitarian emergencies and security challenges have been reported in the State since the past years. These often
result in death, displacement and imposed migration of communities. Benue State is a predominantly agricultural
economy but a large proportion of the population is educationally disadvantaged while hundreds of households have
migrated to other parts of the country due to violence and violent conflict in the State. This situation is capable of
generating serious food security challenges and general human security problems for the State.
Benue State lacks a protectively enabled environment for citizens. This explains why so many households are seriously
affected whenever a humanitarian emergency occurs. Women, youths and PWDs are inadequately involved in decision
making processes, and this contributes to widespread sense of insecurity in the state.
Inter-sectorial collaboration among agencies of government and non-government stakeholders and between Benue
State Government and the Federal Government for the purpose of addressing human security challenges is weak or not
yielding desired human security outcomes. The peace and security situation in the State is thus volatile without
guarantees for effective management as adequate peace architecture is lacking in the State.
Key issues
Benue State needs to review its system for addressing abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable
members of society to address weaknesses in the system. These weaknesses include the fact that appropriate and
adequate laws and policies are not fully implemented while programmes to address violence also often appear to be ill-
conceived, poorly funded or not well coordinated. Injustices against women and children are partly due to lack of
implementation of the National Gender Policy in the State. The State Child‟s Rights Law 2008 is also not fully
implemented, which explains the multiple child protection gaps in the system as identified by the 2014 Child Protection
Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State. Lack of an official role for the health ministry in
the area of violence prevention can frustrate public effort to address problems posed by exposure of children to
violence, abuse and neglect including exposure of women to violence. The absence of a Peace Policy has also affected
government performance in the area of peacebuilding as the official security approach to conflict is inadequate for the
State. The funding system in the State is weak as government disregards key segments of the social sector.
Thus, the State lacks a budget head for child protection, peacebuilding, and violence prevention. Meanwhile, official
relationship of government with the civil society sector is weak as no agency or proper mechanism exists for
the purpose of comprehensive coordination of Government relationship with civil society.
Windows of Opportunities
A number of initiatives are on-going in the State and they provide windows of opportunities for Government to develop a
robust protection environment as well as cultivate a culture of peace in the State. Some of the initiatives worthy of note
include: UNHCR collaboration with NHRC to establish a Protection Monitoring Referral System (PMRS) in 2015;
UNHCR initiative to establish a Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) in the State, since August 2015; existence of
Child‟s Rights Law in the State, enacted in 2008; existence of a Child Protection Policy in the State; on-going vetting of
the Violence Prevention (Prohibition) Act (VPP Act) 2015 for domestication by the State; existence of women
empowerment programmes such as TEAM 2015 implemented in the State from 2013-2015 by Women International
League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in collaboration with CORAFID, and the Women Situation Room Nigeria
project being implemented by the same organizations; the Sustainable Mechanism for Improving Livelihoods and
Household Empowerment (SMILE) is in the process of supporting the development of Violence Against Children (VAC)
Response Plan and is also integrating conflict sensitivity in its vulnerable children‟s programme in the State in 2016; the
European Union (EU) through International Centre for Peace, Charities and Human Development (INTERCEP) is

8. 7
supporting children and young people‟s protection systems in the State in 2016; and, UNICEF is coordinating
interventions for the purpose of establishing a robust Child Protection Strategy in the State in the current year.
Meanwhile, on December 21, 2015 during the 2015 Benue UNDAF III DAO End of Year Review Meeting the Director
General (DG) of Benue State Planning Commission (BSPC) and UNICEF Chief of Enugu Field Office both endorsed a
recommendation by Chief Executive Officer of CORAFID for integration of conflict sensitivity in UN-assisted
programmes in Benue. These are identified as viable windows of opportunities that government can build upon for the
purpose of adequately protecting its citizens and creating a safe environment including possible culture of peace in the
State.
Key Recommendations
We strongly recommend as follows:
 That, to address the serious protection concerns in the State Government should put in place a vibrant
Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) to provide an opportunity for joint engagement of protection actors for
the purpose of enhancing a principled, coordinated humanitarian action to address impacts of humanitarian
emergencies on vulnerable members of society. Sub-working groups such as Child Protection Working Group
(CPWG), and Sexual and Gender Based Working Group (SGWG) as a well as a Case Management Task Force to
operate as a community of practice are also strongly recommended.
 That, to address the problem of violence Government should put in place laws and policies, standards and
regulations, strong cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanism, effective service delivery mechanisms
which are adequate, as well as good communication skills, and funding on a sustainable basis. Recommendations
from the Child Protection Mapping and Assessment of 2014 should also be fully implemented. Ministry of
Health in the State should be empowered to adequately implement its role in violence prevention as recommended
by the World Health Assembly of 2014. Indeed, Government should have in place an effective mechanism to
see to violence prevention and peacebuilding in the State.
 That, to address threats to food security and associated risks in the agricultural sector, Government should
integrate conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding in its programmes and policies while also investing in state of
the art agricultural technologies and systems. Government should enact a law to provide for mandatory
integration of conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding in private sector and donor supported programmes.
Government should also provide for integration of conflict management in its vocational education and
entrepreneurship development programmes that target micro and medium enterprises.
 That, to address challenges in the civil society sector, civil society platforms my create a CSO-wide platform
for the purpose of synergy-building through knowledge sharing and adoption of global best practices. Government
should also develop and adequately fund a mechanism for coordination of collaboration with civil society
beyond appointment of individuals to serve as Special Adviser to the Governor on civil society matters.
Conclusion
The foregoing analysis indicates that government understands the peace and security context of the State as some
measures to address problems of violence and abuse, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable citizens are already in
place. However, gaps in the thinking, design and operationalization of plans to address these problems have also been
observed. Available statistics suggests that the proportion of poor, socially dependent and educationally disadvantaged
persons is very high in Benue State and insecurity is also high. Some factors responsible for this situation have been
discussed and we found that the peace and security situation in the State is volatile as Benue has experienced an
intractable conflict situation during the past few years. Government thus needs to urgently review its system for
addressing the sources and manifestations of conflict intractability and to correct all traditional customs and practices
that tend to exclude youths, women and persons with disabilities from participation in decision making processes. Some
windows of opportunities have been identified, which can be utilised to develop a robust protection environment and a
culture of peace in the State. As an absolute minimum, Government is encouraged to establish a Protection Sector
Working Group (PSWG) and see to full implementation of recommendations of the Child Protection Mapping and
Assessment of 2014. Government should develop a robust violence prevention and peacebuilding mechanism, and
should establish an adequate mechanism for coordination of Government relationship with its local civil society.

9. 8