NGO Peace Project Boosts Youth Entrepreneurship in Yobe

A Non-Govermental Organisation (NGO) peacebuilding project supported by the British Council has enhanced entrepreneurship and conflict resolution skills among youths in Yobe state.

The project was executed by the Communal Resilience Support Initiative (CORSIN) under the Strengthening Youth Initiatives for Reintegration and Sustainable Peace in Northeast Nigeria programme.

Dr Mohammed Machina, Executive Director of CORSIN, said the funding covered training, mentoring and post-training grants.

He said 80 youths drawn from Damaturu and Gujba Local Government Areas completed the four-month capacity-building sessions.

Machina explained that the programme integrated peace education with enterprise development to address drivers of youth vulnerability.

He said the British Council’s support reflected confidence in community-based organisations to deliver sustainable interventions.

Chairman, Network of Civil Society Organisations in Yobe, Malam Baba Kucici, commended the donor for supporting grassroots peace initiatives.

Kucici called for expansion of similar partnerships with other development agencies to reach more vulnerable groups.

Traditional rulers at the ceremony urged continued donor engagement to include internally displaced persons, persons living with disabilities and school dropouts.

They said sustained external support remained critical to stabilising insurgency-affected communities in the state.

A participant from Buni-Yadi, Malam Sa’adu Adam, expressed gratitude to the British Council for supporting youth-focused development initiatives in the state.

Similarly, Malama Fatima Saleh, another beneficiary, said the grant had strengthened her economic independence and enhanced her capacity to support members of her community.