Equal Access International recently held a five-day training workshop in preparation for successfully concluding the Securing Nigerian Communities (SNC) project’s related programming. Valentina Justice, CFO of EAI, led the training in Kano, where she instructed participants on specific timelines, policies, and procedures to bring the project to fruition.

EAI implemented SNC in Northwest (Kaduna, Kano) and North Central (Benue and Plateau) Nigeria , which sought to reduce conflict- and crime-related violence in communities susceptible to conflict, in part by enabling the government, civil society, and security sectors to work together to strengthen localized prevention and response efforts. SNC was designed to create an Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system, increase women and youth’s inclusion in peace and security, and equip communities with the tools and skills to build resilience to trauma.

The workshop served as a deep dive into the various tasks needed to close out each segment of the project, largely for individuals who had never been trained on its requirements. Rather than focusing on the activities of SNC, the training was about closing well by reporting on the activities that have been conducted, including those pertaining to conflicts of interest, procurement, and vendors. Ms. Justice also emphasized the group work aspect of a close-out process, saying it is extremely beneficial for bringing people together especially since the whole SNC team is involved in most processes of a close-out.