By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

The CLEEN Foundation, in collaboration with the Open Society Foundations, has organised a two-day citizens’ engagement to strengthen community participation in tackling insecurity across Kaduna State.

The workshop, themed “Community Resilience and Adaptation to Security Threats,” brought together government officials, civil society organisations and community representatives to deliberate on improving security structures and closing existing gaps.

At a two-day citizen’s engagement on Wednesday in Kaduna, Programme Director of CLEEN Foundation, Dr. Salaudeen Hashim, said many communities remained vulnerable because citizens were often excluded from security decision-making processes.

Hashim stressed that resilience should not be treated merely as policy, but as a practical community-centred approach capable of empowering citizens physically, socially and economically.

He identified uneven deployment of security personnel and assets as a major factor contributing to insecurity, particularly in rural communities experiencing repeated attacks and violence.

“The mismatch in security deployment is also a major element making communities vulnerable because assets and personnel are not deployed judiciously due to the urbanisation of security,” he said.

Hashim also expressed concern over the suspension of the Community Peacekeeping Commission in Kaduna State, warning that the development had weakened local security coordination and response mechanisms.

According to him, the suspended commission previously played a strategic role in promoting dialogue, mediation and early intervention before tensions escalated into violence.

He urged the Kaduna State Government to reactivate the commission or establish another structure capable of coordinating peacebuilding initiatives and strengthening early warning systems.

Hashim added that rebuilding public trust and improving information sharing between citizens and security agencies remained essential to addressing insecurity across the state.

The Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Peter Maduoma, said the engagement aimed at encouraging citizens to become active contributors to community safety instead of depending solely on security agencies.

Maduoma explained that the programme followed an earlier engagement held in March 2026, where participants identified pressing security challenges and developed a citizens’ charter submitted to the Nigeria Police Force.

He said the current engagement focused on identifying local resilience assets and strengthening informal community safety networks capable of supporting formal security institutions.

Senior Programme Officer of CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Bernard Ekobay, emphasised the importance of adopting a multi-dimensional approach that allows all stakeholders to participate in addressing insecurity.

Ekobay expressed optimism that with proper orientation, information and support, citizens would contribute significantly toward safeguarding their communities and reducing government security expenditure.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Winbeck’s Global Initiative, Mrs. Rebecca Bilai, said the initiative had improved communication and trust between communities and security agencies.

While acknowledging concerns over alleged misconduct, delayed response to distress situations and weak feedback channels, Bilai noted signs of improved cooperation between security personnel and the public.

A civil society representative, Abdul Bako, said inadequate modern equipment continued undermining effective responses to security threats despite efforts by security personnel and community members.

Bako stressed that stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies would significantly improve security outcomes and help address growing insecurity across Kaduna State.

“By creating a good working relationship between the people and duty bearers, it will go a long way in addressing insecurity,” he said.

Mrs. Olufunke Bamikole, representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers, said protecting women, children and other vulnerable groups against abuse would help reduce violence in communities.

Bamikole described the workshop as an eye-opener capable of boosting community resilience and strengthening public confidence in the government’s security architecture.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the engagement ended with participants validating community findings and proposing recommendations aimed at improving security coordination and response mechanisms across Kaduna State.

Stakeholders also renewed commitments to strengthen early warning systems, establish grievance channels for rural communities, protect whistleblowers and intensify public awareness campaigns.

Participants further advocated deploying community policing officers trained in conflict-sensitive engagement and providing written feedback to communities on reported cases within 30 days.(NAN)