Kaduna State Inaugurates DDR Committee

Governor Uba Sani of Nigeria — Kaduna State inaugurated the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Peace and Security Committee, making Nigeria — Kaduna State the first subnational government in Nigeria to establish such a body. This initiative, facilitated by the Nigeria — Office of the National Security Adviser and the United States — National Counterterrorism Center, aims to address the root causes of insecurity, including banditry and kidnapping, which had previously crippled economic activity and instilled fear in the state. Governor Uba Sani pledged political will for the committee's success, highlighting the 'Kaduna Peace Model' which combines robust security operations with dialogue, community engagement, and socio-economic interventions. The United States — National Counterterrorism Center, in collaboration with the United Kingdom's Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (UK-SPRiNG) programme, conducted regional consultations that led to the recommendation for state-level DDR committees. Technical Adviser Paul Nyulaku commended Nigeria — Kaduna State's reconciliatory efforts and noted that the national DDR framework, with 17 pillars including political dialogue, is awaiting approval.