The CoP which is the third and last CoP for the year held from 5th – 8th September, 2021 at Benue Hotels & Resort, Makurdi, Benue State with the theme “Youth as Catalysts for the Prevention of Recruitment and Radicalization to Violent Extremism in line with The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 which encourages governments, international organizations and civil society to actively engage youth populations as partners in shaping peace and security processes.

Discussions were led by ActionAid Nigeria (The Future of PVE in Nigeria; strategies for youth leadership in PVE) Institute of Governance and Social Research IGSR (Building and sustaining youth participation and engagement in PVE programs) and Women Environmental Programme (Creating Youth Centred Fund raising activities to prevent VE in Nigeria).

The CoP developed strategies for youth engagement in PVE leadership, sustainability plans for youth PVE programs and identified strategies for harnessing funding opportunities for youth to prevent violent extremism in Nigeria.

Participants after discussions and deliberations agreed that; Getting the Youth Involved in PVE Programs gives them a sense of ownership and perhaps reduces their vulnerability of being recruited into Violent Extremism, there is a need to strengthen Community Cohesion and reconciliation through cultural events, projects should work on promoting the culture of peace through family reorientation and that there is a need to enhance ownership and sustainability of programs through community contribution.

The event ended with a field visit to Kwande Local Government one of the target LGs of the project in Benue State. Participants interacted with the beneficiaries of the livelihood and vocational skills intervention, mentorship programme and visited the mini ranch that was piloted by the project.

Present at the CoP were staff delegations from the three Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund grantees in Nigeria Women Environmental Programme, ActionAid Nigeria, Institute of Governance and Social Research IGSR and their sub grantees.