Search for Common Ground Begins Retreat on Media Practice and Farmer-Herder Conflict in Nigeria
By Christiana Babayo
Search for Common Ground, an international peacebuilding organization, has begun a two-day media retreat in Abuja, focused on media practice and the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria.
The retreat drew participants from Adamawa and Taraba, consisting of Common Ground journalists, media fellows, media managers, government representatives, and stakeholders who have been working on the COMITAS project (Contributing to the Mitigation of Conflicts over Natural Resources Between Farmers and Herders in Adamawa and Taraba states).
Activities marking the event included panel discussions, group discussions, and contributions to promote conflict-sensitive reporting and improve media’s capacities in propagating peace messages.
During the opening, Media Coordinator Mr. Victor Baba Okpanachi welcomed the participants and charged them to contribute actively during the sessions, so that deliberations can be used as reference points in future pursuits of peace.
While giving a brief remark, the Program Manager, West Africa, Bryan Weiner, said Search for Common Ground is a peacebuilding organization working for 40 years, with numerous success stories recorded over the years.
He attributed these successes to the active contribution of the media. According to him, addressing conflicts requires fully utilizing the media, as media engagement has the power to change conflict dynamics.
The Head of Program Implementation, Mr. Godwin Okoko, State Project Cordinator, Mr. Dubi Sonam, and Program Manager, Mr. Gambo Wada, all encouraged participants to engage constructively and suggest ways the media can amplify their voices to mitigate the crisis.
Mr. Godwin Okoko stressed that the retreat not only provides a platform to showcase activities of the last 48 months but also to discuss the transformation the project has achieved, the various peace initiatives, and the role the media has played in strengthening relationships and building harmony among communities.
Goodwill messages were received from representatives of both Adamawa and Taraba states, as well as stakeholders in the pursuit of peace. Both states expressed their commitment to the cause and pledged continuous collaboration, as peace is the bedrock upon which development thrives in every community.
Although the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue fueled by competition over natural resources, Search for Common Ground has been working as a consortium with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Mercy Corps, resulting in a positive shift in conflict dynamics within the areas they operate.
