By Kabir Dan-Katsina, Birnin Kebbi
The PAVE Network in Kebbi State, has called for stronger collective action by government, communities and other stakeholders to effectively prevent and counter violent extremism in the state and the wider North-West region.p
State Chairman of the Network, Mr. Fahad Labbo, made the call in a press conference in Birnin Kebbi.
He said violent extremism, banditry and other forms of criminal violence remained major security challenges confronting the region.
Labbo noted that groups such as Lakurawa had taken advantage of weak governance structures and porous borders to carry out attacks in parts of Kebbi and neighbouring Sokoto State.
“The prevailing insecurity in the North-West is driven by the proliferation of armed groups, rising cases of banditry and kidnapping, economic marginalisation of rural communities, and structural weaknesses in community safety and resilience.
“The situation underscored the need for comprehensive and inclusive preventive approaches that go beyond purely military responses,” he said.
Labbo said the network had, in recent weeks, recorded notable progress in institutional and community capacity building across the state.
He explained that multi-stakeholder workshops had been organised to strengthen technical capacity on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), including the training of Technical Working Groups on the co-creation of State Action Plans (SAPs) and Local Action Plans (LAPs).
“These workshops involved ministries, departments and agencies, security agencies, traditional rulers, women and youth groups, as well as civil society organisations,” he said.
Labbo added that the engagements had improved understanding of local drivers of extremism and laid a solid foundation for inclusive prevention planning.
He further disclosed that the network had facilitated dialogue and consultation platforms across the state to bring communities and government actors together to jointly design PCVE action plans that reflect local realities.
“The dialogues helped to identify grassroots priorities such as youth economic empowerment and the strengthening of early-warning mechanisms.
“The Kebbi chapter of the PAVE Network had participated in peer-learning and knowledge-exchange programmes within the North-West, enabling the sharing of best practices and reducing duplication of efforts,” he said.
Labbo said advocacy visits had been paid to the Kebbi State Government, the legislature and security leadership to secure political ownership and support for PCVE policy implementation and resource allocation.
The chairman revealed that community resilience campaigns had been carried out in several communities across the state, focusing on peace education, tolerance messaging, conflict awareness and the strengthening of local networks to counter extremist narratives.
He said the campaigns had generated increased interest and willingness among residents to take ownership of PCVE initiatives.
Labbo listed some of the gains recorded so far to include enhanced collaboration among government institutions, security agencies and non-state actors, commencement of the process to draft the state Action Plan and roadmaps for Local Action Plans, and stronger alignment with the national Policy Framework and National Action Plan on PCVE.
Other achievements, he said, include the establishment of Technical Working Groups for SAPs and LAPs, introduction of PCVE considerations into state budget proposals, empowerment of communities with basic early-warning and response tools, and increased participation of critical stakeholders, including the private sector.
He, however, acknowledged persistent challenges such as the continued presence of armed groups, youth unemployment, weak intelligence and early-warning linkages in some local government areas, and gaps in integrating PCVE priorities into sectoral plans and budgets.
“Security operations alone cannot end violent extremism. It is a shared challenge that requires governance reforms, development interventions and strong community resilience,” Labbo said.
He called on residents to remain vigilant and reject extremist narratives, urged traditional and religious leaders to promote peace and tolerance, and encouraged youth and women groups to take the lead in resilience-building and positive messaging.
Labbo also appealed to ministries, departments and agencies, as well as local governments, to mainstream PCVE priorities into planning and budgeting, while urging security agencies to deepen community engagement and uphold human rights.
He called on the Kebbi State Government to provide leadership and take ownership of the PCVE process.
In his closing remarks, Labbo reaffirmed the PAVE Network’s commitment to a collaborative, inclusive and evidence-based approach to preventing violent extremism in Kebbi State.
“Peace and resilience are not the responsibility of government alone.
“Together, we can prevent violent extremism, protect our communities and secure a peaceful and prosperous future for Kebbi State and the North-West,” he said.
