The North-East Development Commission (NEDC), says it has embarked on peace and inter-religious dialogue sensitisation programme to promote peaceful coexistence in the North-East region.
NEDC’s Managing Director, Mr Mohammed Alkali, disclosed this at the graduation of 200 trainees under its ICT Training Programme, Batch C, on Monday in Bauchi.
He said the Commission extended its out reach to communities to sensitise the youths on dangers of extremism and radicalisation.
He said effective campaign strategies had been adopted to prevent the most at-risk individuals from being radicalised by terror group.
According to him, the Commission is scaling up awareness campaign on religious extremism and ways to recognise signs of extremism as well as skills to adequately identify its ills.
Alkali said the programme would emphasise on moderation and peaceful co-existence in the region.
“We will be making use of radio which is good for our local people and there are other programmes which involves physical engagement where we will involve the elders, the emirs, the chiefs and whoever that can give respite to what we are saying.
“NEDC is working to increase knowledge, respect for peace and peaceful coexistence in the region by engaging selected youth towards de-radicalisation to encourage radicalised individuals to disengage and provide psychosocial support for better livelihood,” he said.
Alkali said the Commission had graduated 580 youths under Batch A, B and C of the ICT training programme in Bauchi State.
He said the Commission had established ICT resource centres in selected tertiary institutions across the six states of the zone, in line with its strategic plan to enhance access to ICT.
According to him, the objective is to improve access to ICT resources and equip the teeming youths across the region with the necessary vocational skills and tools to make them self-reliant.
Also, Gov. Bala Mohammed lauded the Commission for its humanitarian interventions across the region.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Aminu Gamawa, the governor expressed optimism that the graduates would constitute hope for creativity where they can think freely and have tools to work.
Reports that the Commission distributed economic strengthening kits to the 200 graduates of the ICT training programme, to enable them to set up their businesses.
NEDC also donated 20,000 cartons of assorted drugs and medical consumables to Bauchi government to prevent outbreak of cholera in the state.
Our correspondent also reports that management team of the Commission inspected the ongoing construction of 500 housing units in Bauchi.
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