25,000 CJTF members trained by EU on skills acquisition psychosocial reintegration

Members of Civilian JTF on duty

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The European Union (EU), in conjunction  with the British Council  and Manage Conflict in Northeast (MCN), has commenced skills acquisition  and psychosocial  reintegration trainings for members of the Civilian Joint Task Force,  popularly called Civilian  JTF,  in Borno State.

The objective is to facilitate their useful reintegration  into a post Boko Haram conflict society.

The civilian JTF,  credited  with chasing Boko Haram insurgents out of Maiduguri metropolis and other townships in the state in 2015, is a vigilante force with 25,000 members.

They are now recognised by the Nigerian military

to help it fight Boko Haram insurgents.

With the gradual restoration of security heralding the resettlement of returnee communities,  fears emerged that the CJTF members, who abandoned their various  trades to join the military against the insurgents, may become a menace to the society if they are not given livelihood skills and psychosocial reintegration trainings.

The pilot project of the trainings, conducted by Herwa Development Initiative, a Northeast-based NGO for the EU, BBC and MCN, commenced in Maiduguri with 400 of the CJTF members. The EU has provided N54 million for the project.

The CJTF members would be trained in electrical installation, carpentry and cabinet making, fashion design and tailoring, welding technology, leather and shoe making,  hair dressing, confectioneries making as well as perfume, liquid soap, room freshners and disinfectant making.

“Master craftsmen from these trade groups who possess immense experience  and expertise, not university academics,  would train them, “ Alhaji Mohammed Hassan Ngubdo,  Executive  Director of Herwa Development  Initiative, told Daily Trust.

“Four master craftsmen have been employed from each trade group, and each of them will be paid N50,000 monthly for the 3-month period of the training, while each trainee will be paid a monthly stipend of N5,000 for transport and feeding.”

“The trainings will continue in batches until all the 25,000 are trained.

“The psychosocial  reintegration training goes pari pasu with the skills acquisition to avert a situation where they earn cash from these trades but,  without a reformed mind,  plunge into criminality,” Alhaji Ngubdo said.