Engaging Communities for Peace in Nigeria (ECPN) Quarterly Report #16

The project aimed to reduce violence between farmers and pastoralists in Nigeria's Middle Belt states by building the capacity of communities to resolve disputes, increasing trust between communities, and developing joint community and government conflict management plans. The project was implemented by Mercy Corps, with Pastoral Resolve as a sub-awardee, and received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project focused on three core theories of change: bringing people together to peacefully resolve shared challenges, building relationships and economic interdependence, and reducing violence. To achieve these goals, the project implemented various interventions, including farmer and pastoralist training programs, quick impact projects, and community-based conflict management initiatives. The project also aimed to strengthen the technical and organizational capacity of selected civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Northeast to deliver high-quality peacebuilding programming. The project's indicators and targets were designed to measure progress towards its objectives. The indicators included the percentage of conflicts reported from activity interventions, the number of disputes resolved by trained participants, the percentage of participants who report social cohesion across conflict group lines, and the number of new groups or initiatives created through USG funding. The project's baseline data was collected in December 2015, and subsequent data was collected in FY 2018 Q3 and the reporting period of April 1, 2019, to June 6, 2019. The project's results showed significant progress towards its objectives. The number of conflicts reported from activity interventions decreased by 12.1% compared to the baseline, and the number of disputes resolved by trained participants increased by 174.3%. The percentage of participants who report social cohesion across conflict group lines increased from 0% to 29.6%, and the number of new groups or initiatives created through USG funding increased by 144%. The project also reported an increase in the number of civil society organizations receiving Mercy Corps assistance that improved their internal institutional capacity, as demonstrated by an increased Organizational Capacity Index (OCI) score. The project's implementation was supported by various stakeholders, including USAID Mission staff, sector implementing partners, and associated Nigerian CSOs. The project's capacity building program targeted influential local CSOs with mandates in peacebuilding and conflict management/mitigation, and the project aimed to build a network of local partners with the capacity to apply for grants from international donors and implement high-quality peacebuilding programs. The project's sustainability mechanisms included the development of joint community and government conflict management plans, the establishment of an Early Warning Early Response (EWER) system in Benue State, and the conduct of research on the underlying causes of farmer-pastoralist conflict in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The project's results and lessons learned will inform future peacebuilding initiatives in Nigeria and contribute to the development of effective conflict management strategies in the region.