By Abdullahi Lukman
The Centre for Peace Advocacy and Sustainable Development (CEPASD) has trained 300 residents across three communities in Kaduna State to identify environmental threats, improve personal security and strengthen community-based early-warning systems.
The three-day training, held from October 27 to 29, 2026, covered Unguwar-Rimi, Television and Sabo communities as part of efforts to protect environmental defenders and prevent climate-related challenges from escalating into community conflicts.
The programme was organised under CEPASD’s Community Environmental Defender Protection and Early-Warning Training project, an initiative of the CIVIC-GUARD Nigeria Project, led by Young Advocates for Sustainable Future (YASIF) with support from CIVICUS.
According to the organisation, the training was designed to equip participants with practical knowledge to identify environmental and climate-related risks, recognise potential threats, improve their digital and personal safety, and respond effectively to emerging challenges.
The initiative followed a baseline assessment conducted by CEPASD, which revealed that 57.4 per cent of respondents had experienced or witnessed threats within the preceding 12 months, while 58.5 per cent reported digital security incidents.
The assessment also found that 65.3 per cent of respondents believed environmental and climate-related pressures contributed to disputes and tensions in their communities.
Speaking during the programme, CEPASD Executive Director, Augustine Igweshi, said environmental defenders played important roles in identifying environmental concerns, raising awareness and promoting accountability.
He, however, noted that their activities could expose them to threats, making personal protection, digital security and early-warning skills essential.
The training covered climate security, environmental protection, risk identification and management, digital safety and personal protection. It also examined how pollution, flooding, water scarcity and other climate-related challenges could trigger community tensions.
Representatives of the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA) and the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA) participated in the exercise.
The General Manager of KASUPDA was represented by Bashir Suleiman, while Victor represented the General Manager of KEPA. Both representatives stressed the importance of collaboration between government agencies and local communities in addressing environmental challenges.
CEPASD said it would follow up the training with simulation exercises, the establishment of WhatsApp and SMS reporting channels, as well as monitoring and evaluation activities to assess how participants apply the knowledge acquired.
The organisation said the project was aimed at strengthening community capacity to identify and respond to environmental risks, protect environmental defenders and prevent climate-related challenges from developing into wider conflicts.
