Morganable News / Communities
Young people and community stakeholders in two Abia local government areas are receiving peacebuilding training to improve safety around agricultural communities.
Lagos —
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) is strengthening community-led peace and security systems around agricultural corridors in Umuneochi and Isuikwuato Local Government Areas of Abia State.
The initiative is designed to help communities prevent conflicts, improve communication and create safer conditions for farmers accessing their farms.
The programme is being implemented through PIND’s Women in Sourcing and Enterprise (WISE) programme, which supports young women participating in the cassava value chain as Youth Outgrower Farmers.
PIND said the peace and security intervention is important because farmers cannot fully benefit from economic opportunities if insecurity makes it difficult or unsafe to reach their farms.
As part of the Community Peace and Security Initiative for Safe Farm Corridors, PIND organised a capacity-building workshop for youth-at-risk on September 23, 2026.
A second peace and security training was held on September 25 and brought together community stakeholders, security actors, youth representatives, Prevent Council members and Von Foods.
The activities were designed to strengthen local capacity to identify security risks, prevent conflict and respond to emerging concerns.
According to PIND, participants were introduced to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, conflict analysis and early-warning approaches.
Making farm access safer
The initiative comes against the background of security challenges affecting agricultural activities in parts of Abia.
PIND said insecurity has affected access to farmland, disrupted agricultural operations and created uncertainty for farmers and other people supporting the WISE programme.
For farming communities, the consequences can go beyond immediate security concerns.
When farmers are unable to reach their farms safely, planting, harvesting and other agricultural activities can be disrupted. This can affect household income and the wider supply chain.
The safe-farm-corridor approach therefore links security with economic participation.
Rather than relying only on security agencies, the programme seeks to strengthen cooperation between communities, young people, traditional structures, security actors and private-sector stakeholders.
The September 25 training provided an opportunity for these groups to discuss practical ways to improve communication and coordination around security concerns.
Participants included Prevent Council members, security agencies, community representatives, youth leaders, local vigilante groups and Von Foods.
The involvement of different groups is intended to encourage shared responsibility for community safety.
Giving young people a role
A major feature of the initiative is its focus on young people.
PIND said the training for youth-at-risk was designed to help participants understand how they can contribute to conflict prevention rather than become involved in violence.
The training covered mindset change, early warning, conflict analysis and peacebuilding.
The approach recognises that young people can play an important role in identifying tensions early and helping communities respond before disagreements become wider conflicts.
It also gives young people a formal connection to existing community peacebuilding structures.
This is particularly relevant in agricultural areas where young people are part of the workforce and may have direct knowledge of developments within their communities.
By giving them peacebuilding skills, the programme aims to increase the number of people capable of identifying and reporting emerging risks.
Linking peace with livelihoods
The peace initiative is connected to PIND’s wider WISE programme.
Through WISE, young women are being supported to participate in the cassava value chain as Youth Outgrower Farmers.
However, the economic benefits of such programmes depend partly on whether participants can safely access their farms.
PIND therefore sees the peace and security initiative as a complement to its economic-development activities.
The idea is straightforward: safer farming environments can make it easier for farmers to participate in agricultural opportunities, while stronger livelihoods can contribute to community stability.
The programme also seeks to strengthen cooperation between private-sector actors and local communities.
Von Foods, which is involved in the WISE programme, participated in the September 25 engagement alongside community and security stakeholders.
Building local systems
PIND is also working to ensure that the peacebuilding activities do not depend only on individual training sessions.
The organisation is integrating the initiative into existing structures, including the Prevent Council and Partners for Peace in the Niger Delta.
The aim is to strengthen local systems for identifying emerging threats, sharing information and encouraging early responses.
This approach places community structures at the centre of peacebuilding.
Instead of waiting until a security problem becomes severe, community members and stakeholders are encouraged to identify warning signs and communicate concerns early.
Community cooperation
The development also comes as security concerns remain a major issue in parts of Abia.
Recent community engagements along the Isuikwuato-Umuneochi axis have brought traditional rulers, Prevent Council members, youth and women leaders, agricultural stakeholders and security actors together to discuss concerns affecting farming activities.
One such engagement highlighted the need for stronger communication and community ownership around agricultural investment and farm access.
PIND has also previously noted that insecurity along the axis has restricted access to farms, disrupted operations and affected livelihoods connected to the WISE programme.
The continuing engagements show the importance of cooperation between communities and security institutions in maintaining safe environments.
For the PIND initiative, the focus is specifically on creating conditions where agricultural communities can operate with greater confidence.
The success of the programme will depend on how effectively trained youth, community structures, security agencies and other stakeholders continue working together after the workshops.
For farmers in Umuneochi and Isuikwuato, safer access to farmland can have direct consequences for their livelihoods.
The initiative therefore places peacebuilding alongside agriculture, youth participation and economic opportunity.
By strengthening local capacity and encouraging early communication, PIND is seeking to help communities take a more active role in preventing conflict and supporting safer agricultural activities in Abia State.
