Forced displacement, TEKAN and women peacebuilding initiatives in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

abstract TEKAN (Tarayyar Eklisoyoyi Kristi a Nigeria or the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria) refers to the Conference of Churches in Nigeria (COCIN). The coming together of COCIN to form TEKAN in Northern Nigeria was the first time that women of indigenous churches in the region came together to render support to displaced victims of conflict. Since 2007 the TEKAN Peace Desk has become an important pillar in providing psychosocial support to displaced women who are victims of ethno-religious conflict in Plateau State. Other local peacebuilders are engaged in humanitarian activities for people in Kaduna displaced as a result of the banditry and kidnapping that has become rife in Northern Nigeria since 2012. Kaduna and Plateau State have been immensely affected by the banditry of the Fulani militia, who embarked on massive cattle rustling with forceful raiding of livestock, destruction of properties, and loss of lives in various rural communities, and its association with the kidnapping of girls and rape. It is against this background that this profile piece examines the role played by TEKAN and local women peacebuilders. The first category of women are those from church initiatives, while the second category comes from the larger cohort of women peacebuilders in Kaduna and Plateau State. TEKAN has succeeded in transforming the lives of communities displaced and traumatised by conflicts, by organising workshops on skills acquisition, dialogue, and interfaith psychosocial support, with the initiation of various programmes aimed at rendering support to victims of displacement.