Kwiza Mbumbeh, Maiduguri July 8, 2018
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has inaugurated a centre for countering violence (CVE) extremism in the Lake Chad region of the country. The region also comprises three bordering countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon in the Northeast. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of CVE centre at the weekend in Maiduguri, the Programme Manager of Northeast Region Initiative (NERI), Suleiman Dauda said the centre was to carry out research and develop counter narratives against extremism of Boko Haram insurgents. His words: “This CVE Resource centre is the first of its kind in the country. The centre is to be operated by staffers of the university, while NERI takes charge of its funding.” The varsity had been severally attacked by Boko Haram insurgents between 2013 and this year. The insurgents carried out suicide attacks which several lives were lost; including that of a Professor in 2017. He further disclosed that the centre was initiated in accordance with the desire of NERI to have a very stable recovery in the post insurgency period. His words: “We believe sustainable recovery cannot be achieved unless we prepare grounds for such to thrive. This involves engaging the right human resources and putting in place the right scholarly and knowledge based research and ideas. “The ideas of stabilisation and recovery must have to come from a recognised body of knowledge or institutions, like UNIMAID. “This centre will work collaboratively with other universities across the Lake chad basin to ensure that we forge a common front in countering violent extremism. “This collaboration will seek the active involvement of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.” He said the day to day activities of the centre will be solely run by the varsity; while the NERI will continue to function as a facilitating partner until the project becomes sustainable. “Our expectation is for the CVE Resource Centre to achieve a stable post insurgency recovery across the communities in the Lake Chad region,” he noted. On NERI’s relevance, he said: “This could be achieved through the churning out of information that are credible and making it accessible to those in the highest position of government. “The federal legislature, military and other Stakeholders in the northeast, employ the centre for effective decision making and policy formulation”. The centre was declared open by the Vice Chancellor of UNIMAID, Prof. Abubakar Njodi, who described the CVE resource centre as one of the best collaborative partnership that has ever happened since 1974.
