ECOWAS donates ₦26m to support children affected by conflict in Plateau
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has handed over a cheque of ₦26 million to the government of Plateau State to support children whose lives have been disrupted by armed conflict in various local communities.
The presentation was made by Dr Sintiki Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs of ECOWAS, during a two-day workshop on the “Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) Nexus and Children Affected by Armed Conflict,” held in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Dr Ugbe said the funds would be channelled into educational materials and payment of school fees to help restore access to learning for affected children. The aim, she added, is to also renew hope for their future.
She further noted that nutritional food items would be supplied to fight hunger and support healthy development, while essential household items would assist displaced families to rebuild their lives with dignity.
According to her, the intervention is meant to ensure the wellbeing of children, restore their sense of safety, and promote holistic recovery in the affected communities.
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She appealed to the international community to collaborate in aiding those caught in humanitarian crises. She emphasised that local communities should not merely be passive recipients but should be empowered to take an active role in shaping their recovery.
Dr Ugbe remarked: “This kind of partnership is not only commendable but essential… by embracing the HDP Nexus, they are committed to a new way of working that breaks down silos and builds bridges.”
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu via his representative, the Deputy Director in charge of Humanitarian Affairs, Yakubu Adamu, commended ECOWAS for its consistent humanitarian efforts across Nigeria.
He observed that cooperation with ECOWAS underscores a shared resolve to protect displaced populations and support vulnerable groups, especially women and children.
Julie Sanda, Director General of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PSPBA), said the state government has remained committed to addressing the humanitarian fallout from conflict. She pointed to the establishment of a fact-finding committee and a displacement committee to appraise needs across affected areas.
According to Sanda, a report published in May 2025 revealed that 31,729 households had already been displaced across Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu, and Riyom Local Government Areas.
She added that more recent violence in Mushere (Bokkos LGA) and lesser-reported displacements in Quan’an Pan, Kanam, and Wase LGAs were not captured fully in that figure. In some places, ancestral lands of displaced persons have been taken over by bandits, complicating prospects for return.
Representing the Governor of Plateau State, the Secretary to the State Government, Arc Samuel Jatau, through the Permanent Secretary, Timothy Gayi, pledged to implement recommendations from the fact-finding committee regarding the Jos crises and other conflicts.
He stated that the Plateau government would act to stem orchestrated attacks in rural communities that have long claimed innocent lives, and to create conditions conducive for return, reconciliation, and resilience.
The workshop in Jos provided the platform for ECOWAS, state actors, civil society partners, and development agencies to deliberate on ways to operationalise the HDP approach in Plateau.
The donation marks a concerted attempt to bridge humanitarian relief with development and peacebuilding in a region scarred by conflict, signalling that children in crisis zones must be central to recovery plans.
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