The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has presented a cheque of N26 million to the Plateau State Government in support of children affected by armed conflict in some communities in the state.

New Telegraph reports that the Commission is a regional economic and political union of 15 West African countries established in 1975 to promote economic integration, cooperation, and development in the region.

The Director Humanitarian and Social Affairs of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, presented the cheque to the state Government at a two-day Workshop on Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) Nexus and Children Affected by Armed Conflict in some Communities held at the Villa Grande Hotel in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The workshop was put together in collaboration with ECOWAS, GiZ, funded by the European Union (EU) Support Program to Africa Peace & Security Architecture, and the Plateau State Government, through the Plateau Peace Building Agency.

According to her, the gesture and support will provide critical relief in the area of educational materials and school fees to restore access to learning and hope for the future, nutritional food items to combat hunger and promote healthy development, essential household items to help families rebuild their lives with dignity and health and dignity support to ensure children’s well-being and restore their sense of safety

She urged the International Community to unite and support those impacted by humanitarian crises, by empowering local communities and recognising them as active partners, not just recipients, with the tools and voice to shape their futures.

Dr Ugbe further stated that the HDP Nexus in action reflects the true spirit of integrated response where regional institutions, international partners, and local actors unite to address humanitarian needs, drive development, and foster peace.

According to her, “This kind of partnership is not only commendable but essential adding that by embracing the HDP Nexus, they are committed to a new way of working that breaks down silos and builds bridges.

“We are saying that humanitarian aid must not only save lives but lay the foundation for development.

In his remarks at the event, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, represented by the Deputy Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Yakubu Adamu,
commended the ECOWAS Commission for its tireless efforts in funding and delivering humanitarian assistance across Nigeria.

He pointed out that the partnership with ECOWAS reflects a shared commitment to protecting displaced populations and supporting vulnerable groups—particularly women and children.

Also speaking, the director general of Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PSPBA), Julie Sanda, maintained that the State Government has remained committed to addressing the humanitarian dimensions of the conflict with the setting up of a fact-finding committee and a committee on displacement to assess the scale of humanitarian needs across affected communities.

She stated that findings from the report of this exercise, released in May 2025, revealed that 31,729 households had been displaced across just five Local Government Areas: Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu, and Riyom.

The DG further disclosed that this staggering figure does not include more recent violence in Mushere (Bokkos LGA) or the chronic but under-reported displacements in Quan’an Pan, Kanam, and Wase LGAs.

According to her, more troubling, a PPBA-led assessment has documented that some of the ancestral lands of displaced persons have now been occupied by bandits, further complicating prospects for safe return and reconciliation.

On his part, the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Arc Samuel Jata,u represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office Timothy Gayi while declaring the workshop open, said Governor Caleb Mutfwang pledged to implement the recommendations of the fact-finding committee on Jos crises as part of efforts to halt decades of orchestrated attacks that have claimed innocent lives in rural communities of the state.