The Nasarawa State Government is seeking to deepen its partnership with Colombia in the areas of peacebuilding, reconciliation and the prevention of violent extremism.
‎
‎Governor Abdullahi Sule made this known on Sunday when he received a Colombian delegation and officials of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) at the Government House in Lafia.
‎
‎The visit formed part of a field mission under the South-South Cooperation initiative between Nigeria and Colombia, with discussions centred on reintegration, reconciliation and greater participation of women in peacebuilding.
‎
‎Sule acknowledged the security challenges Colombia had experienced in the past, noting that Nasarawa could draw useful lessons from the country’s experience in overcoming them.
‎
‎He called on the visiting delegation to share practical strategies that could strengthen peace and security efforts in Nasarawa.
‎
‎The governor also directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the state to participate in a two-day workshop where lessons from the mission would be passed on through a train-the-trainer model.
‎
‎Speaking on the initiative, NCTC Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, Abimbola Wonosikou, said Nasarawa was deliberately chosen for the field mission because of its peculiar security situation.
‎
‎She explained that the programme was being implemented as part of Nigeria’s ongoing South-South Cooperation with Colombia.
‎
‎The leader of the Colombian delegation, Mariana Hernández, said the team had come not only to share Colombia’s experiences but also to learn from stakeholders in Nasarawa.
‎
‎Hernández praised Governor Sule for approving the workshop, particularly its focus on women in leadership and their role as partners in peacebuilding.
‎
‎She disclosed that the programme would also seek to empower 80 women who had been affected by different forms of violent extremism in the state.