Search for Common Ground, a non-governmental organisation that has been operating in the Niger Delta Region for the last twenty-four months, has revealed that its activities have benefited over Ten Million persons in the region.
Speaking on Thursday in Delta State during the validation of a social media listening research, Sunny Dada, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator, Search for Common Ground, said that the art and culture aspect of the project alone attracted over 2.7 million persons, while the group’s special cohesion activity reached up to 2.7million persons.
He disclosed that the capacity building aspect of the project reached over 835 persons, adding that, doing plus and minus, the activity may have reached over ten million persons.
On the social media listening project, Dada maintained that about two hundred and forty-eight million, seven thousand people, which represents 11.2 of % ethnic base, were captured, adding that it was also reduced to about forty-six million four thousand representing 2.1% of the population.
He therefore called on relevant stakeholders to join hands in making sure that all that Search for Common Ground has done in the region is sustained, adding that the social media listening recommendations should be turned into policies to guide the region.
“Over ten million persons have been reached through this programme directly and indirectly. Through our art and cultural activities alone, we reached 2.7million people across the 66 communities. That is 70 people per community officially, because in many communities, we had almost 200 people attending that activity, because it was an open event.
“Officially, 70 persons multiplied by 66 communities, you have nothing less than 2.7 million persons. Then we had a special cohesion activity, which also brought together community members. That one also reached about 2.7 persons, and then the capacity building training reached about 835 persons. So if you do your plus and minus, you will discover that even that 10 million persons were exceeded.
” In every family, you have nothing less than three persons, so if you reach one person in a family, you have reached the entire family. The message will be heard in the families.
“If we empower one person through our livelihood initiative, there is a tendency that five to ten people will benefit from that livelihood empowerment.
“If you build a Casava Processing Machine in a particular community, the money from that plant will contribute to the local economy of that community. So, even that ten million is a conservative number because in terms of people that we have directly reached, they are over 5 million, then when you multiply it, you could get like fifteen to twenty million persons.
“The project has actually reached so many people. Like I said, it could be a scratch on the surface because you can’t use eighteen or twenty-four months to solve a problem that has lasted for seventy years, but we have to start from somewhere, and this scratch is already yielding massive success stories from the beneficiaries, and that is why we are motivated.”
Elaborating more on the reason for the social media listening project, he said that the stabilisation of the Niger Delta cannot be achieved alone by one organisation. “It needs concerted efforts by all relevant stakeholders and organisations, government and individual entities.
“These are key Stakeholders that we expect to drive the process, some are journalists and regulatory agencies in the oil sector, in the drug-related sector, security agencies and others. So our hope is that from here, we are going to see actions in terms of policy response and capacity building within the individual organisations in terms of advocacy, governance and law reform, policy, and so many other things.
“We are happy with the commitment we have received from the stakeholders that attended this meeting, and we are hoping that as they walk out of this room today, we are going to see a reflection of the action plan in their own programming.
Stating that Finance has always been the challenge hampering development in the region, he, however, said that we shouldn’t look at the financial aspect, maintaining, “if we continue to look at money and the region is plunged into another round of violence, won’t there be money to sort the region out?
“So the issue of finance shouldn’t come in at all, and that is why we are calling on all relevant agencies, government, donor agencies and everybody to come in quickly, put in the relevant funding and ensure that reports like this are promoted. It should not just end as a report. They should be transformed into policies.”
Also speaking at the stakeholders meeting, Preye Inebaraton, Secretary State Peace Architecture, Bayelsa State, who represented Bayelsa participants, added that as agents of change, individuals can decide to change their concept, adding that “the whole essence is to see how we can minimise crimes and violence in the Niger Delta.
He added that “if we are not peaceful, we can’t preach Peace to the next person. For us in Bayelsa, we have decided to institutionalise the peace-building process by driving the Bayelsa State Peace Commission.
“We can build Peace at a greater level. We can do peacebuilding at a community level with institutions and laws. Criminals can be flushed out of this region only when we collectively stand for Peace.
“In Bayelsa, we have decided to own a peace building process driven by individuals. We have gotten over twenty billion dollars in the Niger Delta in the past twenty years, and there is nothing to show for it. The logic behind that is clear. While we are thinking that our enemies are those sitting in Abuja, even though they are contributing to our challenges, we are also contributing to the underdevelopment of this region.”
Ann Godwin from Rivers State, who spoke on behalf of Rivers State participants and a member of the common ground journalist forum, said that for the Nigerian Delta to achieve development, it must leverage Technology.
She added that members of the communist ground journalist forum have also used the platform to canvass for Peace in the region.
“We don’t only go out to preach unity in our contents, but we practice it. We also bring in solution journalism in our reportage. I can say that the journey so far has been impressive and educational. So, we are quite happy and we are happy for Search taking such a bold step. We will continue to contribute our quota as long as Search remains here.”
Silas Julius, the Vice Chairman of Delta State Peace Architecture, in his remarks, maintained that Search’s story has been a successful one.
He added that through the training he got from Search for Common Ground, he gets information on whatever happens in Delta State concerning Security.
” In Delta State, it has been a success story, and Search has been a major unifier. They have been able to unify the Niger Delta.” He said.
Folashade Seye-Ojo, Mass Media and Information Management Officer, Search for Common Ground, Bayelsa State, welcomed all who made it to the stakeholders meeting, adding that their inputs will be highly appreciated.
Some of the recommendations made at the end of the social media listening project are to prioritise awareness campaigns that amplify female voices, given the low female participation in online conversations.
Strengthen rehabilitation and psychological support for youths at risk of substance abuse and cult- related violence, among other recommendations.
Search for Common Ground and its partners, with support from the European Union, have been operating in sixty-six communities of Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States, focusing on a community-centred approach to transforming criminality in the Niger Delta.
