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Executive Summary

This policy brief addresses three key questions relating to: the state of human security in Benue State; the circumstance

of women, youths, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and children based on the subject matter; and, how Government

can create a peaceful and protective environment for all citizens to thrive in the State.

Benue State Government under the APC led administration of Chief Dr Samuel Ortom chose for itself the mission to

“collectively mould a new Benue”. To realize this vision, government prioritized five Strategic Programme Areas. Two of

them seek: to drive an industrialization policy that targets agriculture as mainstay of Benue economy; and, to establish

institutions and agencies that can effectively promote gender mainstreaming and enhance service delivery to women,

children, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). The administration wants to be known all over the world as a

champion of the rights of women, children, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

However, Benue State has a population of more than 5 million people, which is divided nearly equally between females

and males. While the State is known as Food Basket of the Nation with 70% of the population engaged in the

agricultural sector of the economy, the National Population Census figures as gazetted in 2009 showed that 61.69% of

population is very young (0-19 years) or very old (60-85+) while 40% or more within the age range of 20-69 years old

lack educational attainment. The National bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2010 placed poverty incidence in the State at

77.9% while the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) shows that only 36.9% of Benue children can

meet their basic needs for shoes, clothing and a blanket as 25% of the overall orphans in the country live in Benue.

The State is also vulnerable to multiple human security risks which increase women and children‟s exposure to violence,

abuse, exploitation, and neglect, and the Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 shows that these risks

tends to increase during humanitarian emergencies. Available statistics indicate that risk of exposure to violence for

women and children in the State is very high as the State ranks second in incidence of physical violence against

women, third in incidence of sexual violence against women, and second in violence against pregnant women (NDHS

2013). Violence against children is found to be high as well. According to the 2014 Violence Against Children Study

(VACS) report more than 50% of children experience physical violence and many boys and girls are exposed to risk of

sexual and emotional violence, which occur at home, in school and in the community. A 2015 Conflict Sensitivity and

Peace Assessment by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) indicates that Benue youths are also excluded from decision

making at the community level and that community elders treat their involvement in peace and security issues where it

involves decision making as usurpation of the elders‟ prerogative. Women and PWDs are similarly treated.

According to study findings the trail of humanitarian emergencies in the State affected more than 40,000 households

between 2012 and February 2016. Meanwhile, the CRS study quoted above found that 2015 also recorded 56.66% of

violent events compared to previous years. In the light of these challenges government will need to review its system for

addressing the problems of abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable members of society as current

practices in the State have been found to be fragmentary and weak. Important gaps have also been identified in the

areas of inter-sectorial and inter-agency collaboration, as well as weaknesses in capacity for timely intervention and

prevention of violence and violent conflict, as well as absence of a mechanism for comprehensive coordination of

Government relationship with civil society.

Consequently, Government is strongly recommended to: establish a Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) and

relevant sub-groups as advocated by UNHCR Makurdi Field Unit for the purpose of collaborative, principled,

coordinated humanitarian action during emergencies; implement in full the recommendations of the 2014 Child

Protection Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State to ensure that children are adequately

protected; develop a robust violence prevention and peacebuilding mechanism as well as an adequate mechanism for

coordination of Government relationship with its local civil society. This will strengthen collective capacity to prevent and

mitigate conflict and as well increase resilience. Civil society platforms on their part are encouraged to devise synergy

building strategies including formation of relevant mechanism to address existing performance gaps in the sector.

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Introduction

The mission of Benue State Government under the APC led administration of Chief Dr Samuel Ortom is “To collectively

mould a new Benue by providing Critical Infrastructure, STEAM-Based Education, Healthcare, Agriculture-Driven

Industrialization through Good Governance and Gender-responsive Policies”. The Administration has prioritized five

Strategic Programme Areas to focus on, two of which are relevant for consideration in this policy brief. One of the focus

areas is to drive an industrialization policy that targets agriculture as mainstay of Benue economy. The other is, to

establish institutions and agencies that can effectively promote gender mainstreaming and enhance service delivery to

women, Children, youth, and persons with disabilities. Benue State Government seeks to create a State that “must be

known worldwide as a champion of the rights of these vulnerable groups” (Our Collective Vision for a New Benue 2015-

2019). The answer to the question of whether Government can achieve its self-assigned mission depends on how

clearly Government understands and is purposefully committed to addressing the human security situation in the State.

Benue State presents a list of indicators that will make it a location of interest to development planners, but especially

scholars and practitioners in the protection sector and the peacebuilding field. The State has a large geographical area

with a population of more than 5 million people that are about equally divided between females and males and between

adults and children while up to 70% of the population work in the agricultural sector of the economy. However, the state

is regularly confronted with adverse conditions such as natural disasters, violent conflicts, and frequent acts of violence,

neglect, abuse, and exploitation of vulnerable members of society including women, children, youths and persons with

disabilities. The State also faces the daunting problem of educational disadvantage, which affects a large proportion of

the State‟s active population.

This policy brief draws attention to the seriousness of these indicators and challenges Government to utilize its growing

private sector and available international development partners, as well as the potentially vibrant civil society sector in

order to address human security risks in the State. Once the human security risks are addressed, Benue State

Government will be on the way to achieving food security and a peaceful, just and inclusive society that is free of fear

and violence.

Context analysis

The 2006 National Population Census placed Benue State population at 4,253,641 of which 2,109,598 females and

2,144,043 males (NPC 2009). This was projected to reach 5,614,066 by 2015 (Amee Tser, 2013). Benue has a

geographical area of 30,800 km2 (NBS, 2010), making it 11th largest state in the country. The State is known as Food

Basket of the Nation and 70% of the population work in the agricultural sector.

The proportion of citizens in Benue State aged 0-19 years and 60-85+ years is 61.69%. More than 40% of the

population aged 20-69 years old is without educational attainment (NPC, 2009). Poverty incidence in Benue is 77.9%,

which is higher than the national poverty incidence of 65% (NBS 2010). The wellbeing of Benue children is also

compromised as the state claims the highest percentage of orphans (25%) in the country. Meanwhile, only 36.9% of all

Benue children are able to meet their basic needs for shoes, clothing and a blanket (NDHS, 2013). A 2015 conflict

sensitivity and peace assessment by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) suggests that youths in Benue State are also

excluded from participation in decision making at the community level and that women and persons with disabilities

(PWD) are similarly excluded. Youth involvement in peace and security issues is perceived as usurpation of the elders‟

prerogative where it involves decision making on the part of youths (Awuapila, 2015A). The overall statistics for Benue

thus suggests that the proportion of economically and socially dependent persons is high while many of those who

should lead the social and economic development of the State (those of 20-60 years old) are poorly educated. As an

agricultural society with a large pool of its human resources educationally disadvantaged, this suggests that the

adoption of advanced agricultural technology to eliminate poverty in the land, and economic development generally, will

be slow in the State.

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Benue citizens are also exposed to various risks and threats. A 2007 study by Centre for Law Enforcement and

Education presented Benue as 3rd most unsafe state in Nigeria (Nigeria Watch, 2007) while NAPTIP in 2009 identified

Benue as the „number one state‟ in North Central Zone in human trafficking and the 10th in the country. This was

attributed to conflict incidence and the State‟s proximity to endemic states like Cross River and international boundary

with Cameroun (Sissoko M. and Jedy-Agba B., 2012). By February 2011 the WANEP Nigeria early warning system

reported 65% decrease in sense of public security and 70% risk for assassination and use of small arms and light

weapons for Benue State. Women and children (boys and girls) continue to be exposed to multiple risks of abuse,

exploitation and social violence. For example, 72% of women suffer physical violence, 16.9% of them during pregnancy.

At least 20.3% of women experience sexual violence while 65.7% of widows are dispossessed of family wealth upon

death of their husbands. Nationally, Benue ranks second in incidence of physical violence against women, third in

incidence of sexual violence against women, and second in violence against pregnant women. Most perpetrators have a

domestic relationship with the victim while 17.9% of physical abusers of women are teachers (NDHS, 2013). Meanwhile,

children from the age of 10 years are forced into marriage in Benue, of which 76.5% are females aged 10-19 years

(NPC, 2009). The 2014 Violence Against Children Study (VACS) in Nigeria also showed that one in two children

experience physical violence and one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual violence, while one in six girls

and one in five boys experience emotional violence. Fifteen percent (15%) of girls‟ and 25% of boys‟ first experience of

sexual violence is at school and 1 in 7 girls become pregnant as a result of unwanted sex. A child protection risk map of

the State conducted in 2015 as part of process for formulation of Benue State Child Protection Policy identified 12 key

risks that children are known to be exposed to. The probability of children coming to harm was ranked high or very high

in the case of exploitation, child labour, denial (of rights), trauma, discrimination, neglect, starvation (hunger), insults,

beating (physical abuse), while rape was ranked as medium. This suggests that there is no adequately protective

environment for citizens, particularly women and children (boys and girls), and that less attention is given to ensuring

that children in the State can live to realize their full potentials.

The Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 indicated that risk of violence against women and girls, and

against children increases during humanitarian emergencies and post conflict settings. This was reaffirmed by the World

Health Assembly on May 24, 2014. The history of Benue State is associated with a trail of complex humanitarian

emergencies that require competent humanitarian action. The flooding of River Benue in 2012 resulted in the internal

displacement of 25,000 households. In 2014, 16,526 households were affected1 by violent conflicts (Awuapila, 2015B),

hundreds of which migrated to other parts of the country (Awuapila, 2015C). A recent study by Catholic Relief Services

(CRS) revealed that 2015 recorded 56.66% of violent events compared to previous years. This implied that conflicts

were on the rise in 2015 in Benue State (Awuapila, 2015A). As expected, in 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016 the

Family Unit of Benue State Police Command reported an increase of crimes against children including rape, teenage

pregnancies, abduction and child trafficking. In the wake of renewed violence in the state 10,000 persons are known to

have been displaced and at least 300 cumulative deaths recorded across Agatu and in Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Ukum,

and Logo as of February 2016. An independent study by Clionadh Raleigh and Caitriona Dowd indicates that many

unarmed civilians are attacked during conflict. According to the findings, unarmed civilians in Benue were targeted 40%

of the duration of battles and riots/protests by armed groups between 1997 and 2013 (Clionadh Raleigh & Caitriona

Dowd, April 2013). These wanton attacks tend to increase citizens‟ feeling of insecurity.

Benue State may be experiencing an intractable conflict situation as there is also no adequate conflict management

system in place or an agency to coordinate peacebuilding programmes. Government engagement with civil society,

particularly civil society organizations (CSOs), is also weak in the State. Consequently, the State has serious human

security challenges. A WANEP Nigeria study conducted in 2015, for example, found that interventions to address

conflicts across Nigeria‟s North Central Zone including in Benue State are not implemented when most required; they

also hardly address the root causes of conflict. The study found that violent conflict was most prevalent in the zone from

1 National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported this in terms of number of communities when it said

that 100 communities were displaced by the conflict (http://dailypost.ng/2014/03/24/herdsmen-displaced-100-communities-benue-nema/).

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2001 to 2008 while the highest level of interventions came from 2013 to 2014. The study found that intervening

organizations tended to address conflict manifestations at the LGA level and dealt less with issues at the state or

national level where by virtue of Nigeria‟s federal structure the causative and structural factors could be addressed. The

CRS 2015 study cited above also found that official approach to conflict in the State is the security approach which

usually addresses conflict manifestations and a bit of proximate factors but hardly the root causes. This implies that the

peace and security situation in the State is volatile without guarantees for effective management.

The system for addressing the problems of abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable members of Benue

society is fragmentary and weak. The laws and policies in place for addressing these problems are weak or they are not

fully implemented. Programmes to address these issues are often poorly conceived or poorly funded or not well

coordinated. For example, no law exists specifically to address violence in the State in a manner that is consistent with

international standards. The State lacks a Gender Policy and no evidence exists that the National Gender Policy is

mainstreamed into State operational plans to address gender inequalities beyond having a certain number of women in

positions of authority. The Child‟s Rights Law was enacted in 2008 to serve as a law to protect children, however it is

still not fully implemented as the State is yet to have a functional Family Court and child justice administration has

remained weak. The 2014 Child Protection Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State

identified child protection gaps in every operational area. The study identified poor implementation of laws and policies,

lack of appropriate standards and regulations, weaknesses in cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanism,

inadequate capacity, weaknesses in service delivery mechanisms, gaps in communication capability, and poor funding.

It is also known that funding for the social sector is dominated by development partners without commensurate

government contribution and control, except perhaps since 2015. Consequently, no budget is allocated for

peacebuilding, violence prevention, or child protection in the State. This implies that Benue State Government must

define and prioritize a development agenda that includes violence prevention, peacebuilding, and comprehensive

programmes for vulnerable citizens as a condition for development partners to be expected to provide comprehensive

support in these areas.

The United Nations regards civil society as an important stakeholder in the development process and consults actors in

the sector regularly as well as supports them with ample funding to make sure they remain vibrant. In Benue State the

civil society sector is fragmented and on the brink of failure because of poor funding, weak coordination and competition

to meet the narrow interests of development organizations. Indeed, nearly every civil society network in Benue was

established with funding from DFID, Global Fund, USAID, or UNICEF as part of project outputs and it appears like

sustainability beyond the project implementation phase was not factored. No funding exists for civil society in the State

to carry out research and evidence based programming that addresses the specific policy and development needs of

the State. Available funding opportunities exist mostly for predetermined interventions by international organizations. In

most cases Benue CSOs only get funded when they are willing to implement what the donors have decided as their

priority. Consequently, many civil society organizations lack strong research capability and demonstrated capacity to

inform and influence government policy. The Child Protection Network (CPN), however, presents an interesting story of

unusual resilience, yet it is still bedeviled with problems of funding. For example, UNICEF collaborated with the State to

establish CPN in 2011 but no form of empowerment apart from trainings was provided to the Network. The Network was

neither provided an office space by Government or UNICEF nor minimal funding for case management purposes. The

Network, however, thrived on the voluntary donations of its members and has made significant contributions to children

programmes in the State. For example, CPN has served on every programme and nearly every committee established

by Government to address children‟s protection concerns, the most recent of which include: Technical Working Group

on Child Protection System Mapping and Assessment (2014-2015), Technical Steering Committee on VC (2014-date),

State Improvement Team on VC (2014-date), State Child‟s Rights Implementation Committee (2014-date), Child

Protection System Learning Group (2015-date), State Fostering and Adoption Committee, and Committee to Address

Child Hawking during School Hours (2016). CPN also, among other things, co-facilitated the Child Protection Policy

development for the State, is participating in the vetting of Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 for the

purpose of domestication (ongoing). However, neither the State Government nor UNICEF provides minimal funding to

support CPN activities. UNICEF uses CPN as a social marketing tool including for the purpose of knowledge sharing

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with stakeholders and review or planning meetings while it funds other platforms when it comes to programme

implementation. This means that the civil society sector in the State has not been supported to grow and become vibrant

in order to take up their appropriate roles with dignity and integrity.

In a federal system like Nigeria, it is understood that collaboration to address abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect,

which tend to increase when violent conflicts occur, cannot be the responsibility of a State Government alone. This is

because some key agencies with mandate for social welfare and development are controlled by the federal government.

A number of critical agencies have identified violent conflict as an obstacle to programme implementation including

National Human Rights Commission (NAP, 2009-2013), Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the line

MDAs with responsibility for children (NPA, 2013-2020). However, the policy environment presents obvious gaps in the

thinking, design and operationalization of plans to address societal violence. For example, the country urgently needs a

peacebuilding architecture that is sufficient and effective, yet Nigeria has only a draft National Peace Policy that has not

been ratified since 2007. The preparation of the National Priority Agenda (NPA) for Vulnerable Children in Nigeria

(2013-2020) was informed by Nigeria Vision 20:2020 policy document and the NPA adopted six commitments toward

safeguarding children in the country, Commitment 2 of which seeks to ensure that “all children are safe from abuse,

violence, exploitation and neglect”. However, Nigeria Vision 20:2020 does not define specific targets for this

commitment but only provides for finalization and operationalization of standards of practice to address emergency and

disaster contexts. Furthermore, the NPA asserts the coordination role of the Federal and State Ministries of Women

Affairs and Social Development (F/MWASD) and key roles of other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) but it

does not assign the health ministry any specific role. Yet, based on 2004 and 2014 resolutions of the World Health

Assembly of which Nigeria is an active member, there is supposed to be a focal point within Nigeria‟s Ministry of Health

who sees to preparation and implementation of an action plan to address violence against women and children. This

implies that the policy direction of government does not present the robustness that is required to effectively address the

human security situation of Benue State.

Common protection concerns

Protection concerns exist on several fronts in Benue State, including physical abuses against women and pregnant

women, sexual and gender based violence against women, girls and children, and child neglect. These concerns occur

all the time but tend to increase during humanitarian emergencies. The problem of disregard for rights of persons with

disabilities is a significant problem for prioritization including during humanitarian emergencies. The right of youths to

participate in decision making at the community level requires to be protected, both in humanitarian contexts and at

other times. Often, during humanitarian emergencies, schools are closed down either because they are attacked by

armed groups or because they are converted to IDP camps. Ensuring that children continue to access education even

during humanitarian emergencies is an important area of concern. A significant percentage of abuses against women

and children are perpetrated by persons related to the victims and in schools by teachers and school mates. This is a

serious protection concern because places normally regarded as protective environments are actually also places where

abuses against vulnerable members of the society are perpetrated.

Exposure to all types of violence, especially for women and children, has been strongly linked to negative health

consequences on the brain and nervous system, and immune and endocrine function. Victims of violent behaviour tend

to resort to smoking, alcohol and drug use, as an effort to cope with the psychological impact of violence. Children who

suffer violence and grow up in environments without the benefit of safe, stable and nurturing relationships have

challenges with forming relationships and lack capacity for empathy for others in distress. Both the perpetrator and

victim of violence against women have been shown to be associated with high-risk sexual behaviours. Some of these

behaviours are known to result to heart disease, stroke, cancer, child trafficking and smuggling of persons, „unwanted

pregnancies‟, and HIV/AIDS. Women who have experienced intimate partner violence have a 16% greater chance of

having a low birth weight baby and more than twice likely to have an induced abortion. Victims of violence are also at

higher risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behaviour. Many persons who suffer

violence fail to seek help, which prolongs or increases their suffering, compounding the negative effects that they suffer.

Some indirect costs of violence include: spells of unemployment, absenteeism, long-term disability, and other health

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problems that affect job performance and cause persistent fears for personal safety (Alexander Butchart & Christopher

Mikton, 2014).

Key peacebuilding and protection gaps

Humanitarian emergencies and security challenges have been reported in the State since the past years. These often

result in death, displacement and imposed migration of communities. Benue State is a predominantly agricultural

economy but a large proportion of the population is educationally disadvantaged while hundreds of households have

migrated to other parts of the country due to violence and violent conflict in the State. This situation is capable of

generating serious food security challenges and general human security problems for the State.

Benue State lacks a protectively enabled environment for citizens. This explains why so many households are seriously

affected whenever a humanitarian emergency occurs. Women, youths and PWDs are inadequately involved in decision

making processes, and this contributes to widespread sense of insecurity in the state.

Inter-sectorial collaboration among agencies of government and non-government stakeholders and between Benue

State Government and the Federal Government for the purpose of addressing human security challenges is weak or not

yielding desired human security outcomes. The peace and security situation in the State is thus volatile without

guarantees for effective management as adequate peace architecture is lacking in the State.

Key issues

Benue State needs to review its system for addressing abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable

members of society to address weaknesses in the system. These weaknesses include the fact that appropriate and

adequate laws and policies are not fully implemented while programmes to address violence also often appear to be ill-

conceived, poorly funded or not well coordinated. Injustices against women and children are partly due to lack of

implementation of the National Gender Policy in the State. The State Child‟s Rights Law 2008 is also not fully

implemented, which explains the multiple child protection gaps in the system as identified by the 2014 Child Protection

Mapping and Assessment of Child Protection Systems in Benue State. Lack of an official role for the health ministry in

the area of violence prevention can frustrate public effort to address problems posed by exposure of children to

violence, abuse and neglect including exposure of women to violence. The absence of a Peace Policy has also affected

government performance in the area of peacebuilding as the official security approach to conflict is inadequate for the

State. The funding system in the State is weak as government disregards key segments of the social sector.

Thus, the State lacks a budget head for child protection, peacebuilding, and violence prevention. Meanwhile, official

relationship of government with the civil society sector is weak as no agency or proper mechanism exists for

the purpose of comprehensive coordination of Government relationship with civil society.

Windows of Opportunities

A number of initiatives are on-going in the State and they provide windows of opportunities for Government to develop a

robust protection environment as well as cultivate a culture of peace in the State. Some of the initiatives worthy of note

include: UNHCR collaboration with NHRC to establish a Protection Monitoring Referral System (PMRS) in 2015;

UNHCR initiative to establish a Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) in the State, since August 2015; existence of

Child‟s Rights Law in the State, enacted in 2008; existence of a Child Protection Policy in the State; on-going vetting of

the Violence Prevention (Prohibition) Act (VPP Act) 2015 for domestication by the State; existence of women

empowerment programmes such as TEAM 2015 implemented in the State from 2013-2015 by Women International

League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in collaboration with CORAFID, and the Women Situation Room Nigeria

project being implemented by the same organizations; the Sustainable Mechanism for Improving Livelihoods and

Household Empowerment (SMILE) is in the process of supporting the development of Violence Against Children (VAC)

Response Plan and is also integrating conflict sensitivity in its vulnerable children‟s programme in the State in 2016; the

European Union (EU) through International Centre for Peace, Charities and Human Development (INTERCEP) is

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supporting children and young people‟s protection systems in the State in 2016; and, UNICEF is coordinating

interventions for the purpose of establishing a robust Child Protection Strategy in the State in the current year.

Meanwhile, on December 21, 2015 during the 2015 Benue UNDAF III DAO End of Year Review Meeting the Director

General (DG) of Benue State Planning Commission (BSPC) and UNICEF Chief of Enugu Field Office both endorsed a

recommendation by Chief Executive Officer of CORAFID for integration of conflict sensitivity in UN-assisted

programmes in Benue. These are identified as viable windows of opportunities that government can build upon for the

purpose of adequately protecting its citizens and creating a safe environment including possible culture of peace in the

State.

Key Recommendations

We strongly recommend as follows:

That, to address the serious protection concerns in the State Government should put in place a vibrant Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) to provide an opportunity for joint engagement of protection actors for the purpose of enhancing a principled, coordinated humanitarian action to address impacts of humanitarian emergencies on vulnerable members of society. Sub-working groups such as Child Protection Working Group (CPWG), and Sexual and Gender Based Working Group (SGWG) as a well as a Case Management Task Force to operate as a community of practice are also strongly recommended.

That, to address the problem of violence Government should put in place laws and policies, standards and regulations, strong cooperation, coordination and collaboration mechanism, effective service delivery mechanisms which are adequate, as well as good communication skills, and funding on a sustainable basis. Recommendations from the Child Protection Mapping and Assessment of 2014 should also be fully implemented. Ministry of Health in the State should be empowered to adequately implement its role in violence prevention as recommended by the World Health Assembly of 2014. Indeed, Government should have in place an effective mechanism to see to violence prevention and peacebuilding in the State.

That, to address threats to food security and associated risks in the agricultural sector, Government should integrate conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding in its programmes and policies while also investing in state of the art agricultural technologies and systems. Government should enact a law to provide for mandatory integration of conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding in private sector and donor supported programmes. Government should also provide for integration of conflict management in its vocational education and entrepreneurship development programmes that target micro and medium enterprises.

That, to address challenges in the civil society sector, civil society platforms my create a CSO-wide platform for the purpose of synergy-building through knowledge sharing and adoption of global best practices. Government should also develop and adequately fund a mechanism for coordination of collaboration with civil society beyond appointment of individuals to serve as Special Adviser to the Governor on civil society matters.

Conclusion

The foregoing analysis indicates that government understands the peace and security context of the State as some measures to address problems of violence and abuse, exploitation and neglect of vulnerable citizens are already in place. However, gaps in the thinking, design and operationalization of plans to address these problems have also been observed. Available statistics suggests that the proportion of poor, socially dependent and educationally disadvantaged persons is very high in Benue State and insecurity is also high. Some factors responsible for this situation have been discussed and we found that the peace and security situation in the State is volatile as Benue has experienced an intractable conflict situation during the past few years. Government thus needs to urgently review its system for addressing the sources and manifestations of conflict intractability and to correct all traditional customs and practices that tend to exclude youths, women and persons with disabilities from participation in decision making processes. Some windows of opportunities have been identified, which can be utilised to develop a robust protection environment and a culture of peace in the State. As an absolute minimum, Government is encouraged to establish a Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) and see to full implementation of recommendations of the Child Protection Mapping and Assessment of 2014. Government should develop a robust violence prevention and peacebuilding mechanism, and should establish an adequate mechanism for coordination of Government relationship with its local civil society.

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