150 Women Trained in Peacebuilding Ahead of 2026 Area Council Elections

By Chinedu Echianu

As tensions often rise during Nigeria’s electoral seasons, over 150 women from the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have been trained in mediation, conflict management, and peacebuilding.

The one-day workshop, held in Abuja, was jointly organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), the Research Centre for Advocacy and Policy Advisory in Africa (Recap Africa), and UN Women.

Executive Director of Recap Africa, Sylvester Nandi-Esom, explained that the initiative was designed to equip women with practical conflict-resolution tools.

“We have carefully selected participants across the six Area Councils and 62 wards of the FCT—two from each ward, including aspirants. Women are either mothers, wives, sisters, or aunties, and their role in peacebuilding cannot be overstated,” he said.

“Every year we hear stories of kidnapping, banditry, electoral violence, and gender-based violence. This training will enable you to blend traditional methods of settling disputes with modern approaches to create safer communities.”

Also speaking, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, represented by Susan Agada, stressed the importance of women’s active participation in peace processes.

“When women are fully involved in peace processes, communities stand a better chance of preventing violence and building sustainable peace,” she said.

Declaring the workshop open, the Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, represented by Prof. Shuaibu Danwanka, Director of Legal Services, said the training marked a practical step towards reducing electoral violence.

“This is not just a forum for discussion, it is a concrete step to equip women with skills needed to prevent conflicts, manage disputes, and promote peace at the grassroots level,” he said.

“With elections approaching, the strategies shared here will help reduce tensions, strengthen social cohesion, and create safer neighbourhoods.”

Technical sessions featured discussions on mainstreaming women in governance and the role of female political candidates in mobilising peaceful support during elections.

The workshop concluded with a call for greater recognition of women as central actors in Nigeria’s democratic process and grassroots peacebuilding.