The European Union has committed about $6.5 million to a peacebuilding project across three Niger Delta states, including Delta, Consortium Manager of Search for Common Ground, Mr. Chorbe Joshua, has disclosed.
Joshua said the investment, channeled through Search for Common Ground and its consortium partners, is targeted at addressing conflict drivers such as oil bunkering, cultism, and drug abuse while empowering communities and youths through sustainable livelihoods.
As part of the initiative, the EU in partnership with Search for Common Ground on Tuesday held a stakeholder validation meeting in Asaba to authenticate data generated from social media listening and ensure that narratives emerging from online platforms reflect realities in Delta State.
Joshua explained that the exercise was designed to deconstruct negative narratives online and promote peace-driven conversations.
“This is not actually a training,” he clarified. “We want to validate data that has been generated, especially on social media. For example, how do we address issues of oil bunkery, cultism, drug abuse? Are the words being used online aggravating conflict, or can we generate keywords that facilitate peace?”
He added that beyond digital monitoring, the EU-funded project has in the past 18 months engaged 66 communities in the Niger Delta through dialogues that identified livelihood opportunities to reduce poverty and insecurity.
“Most of the communities selected community projects to be managed by themselves, while others opted for individual skills projects,” Joshua said. “Through a joint selection process, 35 youths were chosen from each community for entrepreneurship and business development training.”
According to him, 594 persons are benefiting from Search for Common Ground’s interventions and 200 from Stakeholders Democracy Network, bringing the total to 794 beneficiaries. Technical and vocational training, he added, would soon commence in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, with starter packs provided afterwards.
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“Our intention is not just to give them capacity, but to enhance their ability to manage businesses, generate income, and be self-reliant within their communities,” he stressed.
The session featured the presentation of the report by Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator of Search for Common Ground, Mr. Sunny Dada, after which participants carried out analysis, gave contributions and recommendations, before it was subsequently adopted and validated by the general house.
In her reaction, Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Delta State Chapter, Mrs. Sonia Unobunjo, who took part in the meeting, described the exercise as timely and commendable.
“The social media listening phase is actually a responsibility of all because we’re all used to social media one way or the other. Today, women don’t really care too much about gossip because either they’re on TikTok or they’re on Facebook or they’re on YouTube. So you see that social media is everybody’s business now. From the findings and information we got today, we see that Search for Common Ground has actually done what is right. They’ve done well, and we commend them for that,” Unobunjo said.
She urged that the validation not end as a one-off activity, adding that the recommendations should be followed through until they are fully implemented.
Another participant, Mr. Oghenekaro Awodeha, a Delta-based journalist, emphasized the importance of accurate data in shaping peacebuilding interventions.
“This exercise is a welcome development. It is important that the narratives we see online are fact-checked and validated, because if left unchecked, they can fuel conflict. With this process, stakeholders can now use the findings to guide both policy and community action for peaceful coexistence,” Awodeha said.
The validation exercise, which drew participants from media, civil society, security agencies and community-based organizations, ended with stakeholders collectively adopting the report as a working document for promoting peace and development in Delta State.
