CLEEN Foundation, a non-governmental organisation funded by the Norwegian Embassy, on Thursday wrapped up a three-day media training in Makurdi with participants calling for stronger institutional support to drive justice and gender inclusion in Benue state.
The workshop focused on Human Rights Protection, Reporting on the State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), and Women in Governance, Peace and Security (WPS).
The workshop, which held at Betoha Resort from March 24 to 26, 2026, brought together civil society leaders, government representatives, and media practitioners to assess challenges in implementing the State Action Plan (SAP) on women, peace and security, alongside the ACJL framework.
Peter Maduoma, Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, said the absence of a functioning SAP implementation committee and lack of budgetary allocation had stalled progress.
He stressed that peacebuilding efforts must address economic drivers of conflict, including livelihood recovery and agricultural stability, and called on the Benue state government to renew the expired WPS framework.
Dr Victoria Egwor Daaor, Executive Director of Elohim Development Foundation and Chairlady of the ACJL Monitoring Committee, highlighted delays in trials that have left many women languishing in prison.
She emphasised the need for greater public awareness of the ACJL and stronger monitoring to ensure justice is delivered fairly and promptly.
Barrister Gbagyo Joseph, Chairman of the Benue state WPS Monitoring Committee, acknowledged the absence of a gender policy in the state, noting that the last framework expired without renewal. He confirmed that advocacy efforts are ongoing, including recent visits to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Justice to push for policy revival.
The WPS committee chair stressed the importance of men championing reforms, noting: “The only thing we can do is to be champions for women, advocates known for breaking barriers and helping to create ways for women to thrive.”
Representatives of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Austin Terhemen and Mrs Magdalene Andoor, assured participants of the ministry’s commitment to supporting women’s inclusion in governance and peacebuilding.
The workshop featured presentations from Chigozirom Okoro, Programmes Manager of CLEEN Foundation, and Bernard Ekobay, among others.
Meanwhile a multi-stakeholder dialogue panel involving representatives from the ACJL monitoring committee, WPS monitoring committee, Ministry of Justice, NBA, Ministry of Women Affairs, and the media underscored urgent gaps in justice delivery and women’s rights advocacy.
Key issues raised included, media Engagement to breaking silence and raising awareness of rights, a six-month technical review of laws and policies, training for justice sector stakeholders, police officers, and media practitioners and grassroots training to cascade knowledge to wider communities.
Speakers agreed that advocacy must remain continuous, with periodic reporting and joint monitoring visits to reduce fatigue among communities.
Collaboration, they said, is the only way to ensure that justice reforms and women’s rights policies move beyond rhetoric into meaningful action.