The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) held a press briefing on Monday to disseminate policy briefs on early warning and early response mechanisms to enhance the protection of civilians in Nigeria. The event was organized under the aegis of a project titled “Strengthening Capacity, Advocacy, Accountability, and Local Engagement Towards Developing Early Warning and Early Response Mechanisms” and supported by the Open Society Foundations Africa (OSF-Africa).

Addressing the media, Abubakar Jimoh, Programme Officer at CISLAC, emphasized the importance of engaging the media on conflict prediction mechanisms to raise public and policy consciousness. “There is no better time to engage the media on matters of conflict prediction mechanisms to raise public and policy consciousness on the emerging threats to the peace, security, and territorial integrity of our beloved country,” Ajimah stated.

Jimoh said the necessity of the event given the evolving epidemic of multidimensional security threats affecting Nigerians at all levels. “The event is considered necessary, given the evolving epidemic of multidimensional security threats bedeviling Nigerians at all levels,” he noted.

The increase in violent conflicts since the 2000s has raised questions on how violence and its escalation can be prevented. “Conflict prevention mechanisms exist, and Early Warning and Response Systems (EWRS) are prominent avenues to avert socio-political crises,” Ajimah explained. He stressed that prevention of crises or disasters should be initiated at the earliest possible stage.

Ajimah pointed out that early warning and early response systems are vital tools for initiating timely responses to keep the populace safe. “Despite the existing wealth of information and analysis on the issues of natural disasters, climate change, and conflict, there is a need to make early warning and conflict prevention operational at multiple levels of Nigeria’s federal structure,” he said.

Highlighting best practices, Jimoh noted that early warning and early action lead to anticipatory action or forecast-based action that enables decision-makers to take informed steps to protect people before disaster strikes. “To be effective, Early Warning Systems must involve meaningful engagement with communities at risk and decision-makers, including other stakeholders, disaster relief, and security agencies,” he added.

Through previous engagements, CISLAC observed the criticality of initiating Early Warning Early Response systems, especially at community levels, as proactive measures to conflict prevention. “This brought to limelight the ongoing project with a specific focus on Strengthening Capacity, Advocacy, Accountability, and Local Engagement towards Developing Early Warning and Early Response Mechanisms to Enhance Protection of Civilians in Nigeria,” Jimoh  stated.

During the event, CISLAC revealed key observations from their engagements across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These include logistics challenges, poor remuneration of response personnel, lack of institutionalized strategies to protect information secrecy, and the absence of modern technology for accurate information gathering. “Intrinsic logistics challenges and poor remuneration with resultant low morale among response personnel constitute major impediments to efficiency by response institutions,” Ajimah reported.

He is outlined several recommendations to improve early warning and response systems, such as institutionalizing adequate data protection systems, forming well-informed community networks, and conducting massive sensitization on drug abuse. “Adequate resource allocation to response institutions and well-remunerated personnel will foster coordination and efficiency in the response process,” he emphasized.

The CISLAC programme officer also express hope that the policy briefs would be judiciously utilized by relevant stakeholders to improve knowledge and understanding for more collaboration and collective support for early warning and response systems in Nigeria.