By Atiku Galadima, Maiduguri
The Peace Ambassadors Center for Humanitarian Aid and Empowerment (PACHE) has met with community leaders in Ngamboru, Maiduguri, as part of efforts to address the root causes of youth unrest and other challenges affecting the area.
The meeting, held on Thursday, brought together traditional rulers, youth representatives, teachers and other stakeholders to discuss issues affecting young people, including drug abuse, illiteracy, poverty and poor child upbringing. It also sought to strengthen local mechanisms for peacebuilding in Borno State.
PACHE President, Ambassador Ahmed Shehu, said the dialogue was part of a broader intervention aimed at promoting community stability and reducing social pressures that often push young people toward negative coping behaviours.
He said communities such as Ngamboru continue to face limited school staffing, child labour, lack of career guidance, weak counselling systems and the lingering effects of insurgency all of which have contributed to youth frustration and restiveness.
Shehu said continuous engagement with community leaders was essential to building trust and ensuring that interventions respond to local needs.
“Our focus is to understand the concerns directly from the community and to work with community leaders, elders and other stakeholders to develop practical solutions,” he said. “Lasting peace can only be achieved when communities themselves drive the process.”
PACHE said the engagement forms part of a series of activities planned under its humanitarian and empowerment programmes in the state.
Community leaders described the meeting as timely, noting rising concerns over the vulnerability of young people.
One of the traditional leaders said many youths remain idle after completing secondary school due to lack of proper guidance a situation he described as a risk factor for unrest.
He commended PACHE for convening the dialogue, saying: “For peace to be sustained, the youth must be engaged and guided. Meetings like this help us identify what is missing and what needs urgent attention.”
He added that community leaders would continue working together to strengthen peace, improve cohesion and support initiatives that promote stability across Ngamboru and neighbouring communities.