The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched a pilot programme in Benue State aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment and digital peacebuilding as part of broader efforts to address the protracted humanitarian and displacement crisis in North-Central Nigeria.
The initiative is being implemented through ECOWAS’ Directorate of Trade and Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs in collaboration with the Benue State Government. It targets women-led community-based organisations engaged in Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiatives within conflict-affected communities.
The launch marked the commencement of a five-day capacity-building programme, held from February 9 to 13, featuring a Training of Trainers (ToT) for 12 participants drawn from community-based organisations, civil society groups and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The participants are expected to conduct step-down sessions that will extend the training to at least 60 women and girls in selected IDP camps and host communities across the state.
ECOWAS said the pilot responds to persistent displacement and humanitarian challenges in Benue and aligns with the state’s Durable Solutions Action Plan, which prioritises sustainable reintegration through livelihood recovery, peacebuilding and community resilience.
According to the regional body, the project recognises the pivotal role of women-led grassroots organisations in fostering social cohesion, mobilising communities and promoting peace in conflict-affected areas. It is designed to strengthen their institutional capacity while equipping women and girls with practical economic and digital competencies.
Anchored on ECOWAS Vision 2050, the Trade and Gender Action Plan and the ECOWAS E-Commerce Strategy (2023), the initiative integrates economic empowerment, digital literacy and digital peacebuilding through a cascade training model. Trained WPS organisations will deliver tailored sessions directly within IDP camps and host communities.
Speaking at the launch, ECOWAS Director Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe described the programme as a strategic intervention to enable women-led organisations to drive durable, community-based solutions while leveraging digital tools to promote inclusion, resilience and peace.
She emphasised that strengthening women’s economic agency and digital capacity is critical to building sustainable peace in fragile and displacement-affected settings.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Benue State Government, Barrister Aber Serumum Deborah, commended ECOWAS for the initiative, noting that it would reinforce grassroots peacebuilding and enhance women’s participation in implementing the state’s Durable Solutions Action Plan.
She added that the project would support livelihood recovery for conflict-affected women and girls, while deepening community ownership of reintegration and peace processes.
The pilot is scheduled to run over two months, beginning with the preparation and adaptation of training modules, followed by implementation, monitoring and documentation. ECOWAS indicated that the initiative is expected to generate a scalable model that can be replicated across other member states in the region.
The launch ceremony was attended by representatives of the Benue State Government, humanitarian and displacement-response agencies, civil society and non-governmental organisations, internally displaced persons, as well as officials from ECOWAS and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
ECOWAS said the programme underscores its commitment to placing women and girls at the centre of durable solutions and sustainable peacebuilding in West Africa, leveraging digital innovation to address immediate recovery needs while laying the foundation for long-term regional impact.
