The Nasarawa State government says it is strengthening ties with the Colombian Government on peacebuilding to help prevent violent extremism in the state.

Governor Abdullahi Sule stated this while hosting a Colombian delegation and officials of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) at the Government House in Lafia, the state capital.

The visit was part of a field mission aimed at sharing experiences in reintegration, reconciliation and the inclusion of women in peacebuilding efforts across the state.

Receiving the delegation, Mr Sule said Nasarawa was aware of the challenges Colombia had faced in the past and commended the country for overcoming them.

He said Nasarawa stood to benefit from Colombia’s experience and urged the visiting team to share lessons that would deepen peace efforts across the state.

Mr Sule directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies to take part in a two-day workshop to cascade the knowledge gained, in line with a train-the-trainer approach proposed by the visiting team.

The director, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at NCTC, Abimbola Wonosikou, said the field mission was part of Nigeria’s partnership with Colombia under the South-South Cooperation (SSC) initiative.

Ms Wonosikou said Nasarawa was selected for the mission because of its unique security context.

The Colombian delegation leader, Mariana Hernández, said the team was in Nasarawa to share experiences with and also learn from participants at the workshop.

She described the exercise as part of the broader South-South Cooperation effort between Nigeria and Colombia.

Ms Hernández commended Sule for approving the hosting of the workshop on women in leadership and as partners in peacebuilding.

She also said the workshop was designed to empower 80 women affected by various forms of violent extremism in the state. 

(NAN)