MWFAAN Awards 2026 Grant for Middle Belt Peace Initiative as Nigeria Battles Communal Conflicts
- The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) has awarded its 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant to Abdullahi Ojoanyoni Haruna and Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih
- Their project aims to strengthen interfaith dialogue and address recurring communal and ethno-religious conflicts across Nigeria's Middle Belt region
- MWFAAN said the initiative aligns with its goal of supporting alumni-led, community-based solutions to national development challenges
Abuja, FCT - The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) has awarded its 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant to peace advocates Abdullahi Ojoanyoni Haruna and Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih for a project aimed at strengthening interfaith dialogue and reducing communal tensions in Nigeria's conflict-prone Middle Belt region.
The project, titled "Escalation of Peace Building Through Strategic Interfaith Dialogue in Nigeria's Middle Belt," was selected under MWFAAN's alumni-led grant programme, which supports community-driven solutions to some of Nigeria's most pressing social and development challenges.
Source: UGC
Middlebelt: Targeting a region scarred by conflict
The award comes as communities across the Middle Belt continue to grapple with recurring ethno-religious and communal violence that has displaced families, disrupted livelihoods and deepened social divisions.
According to MWFAAN, the initiative will deploy strategic communication tools and grassroots engagement programmes to encourage peaceful coexistence, strengthen interfaith understanding and establish sustainable conflict-resolution mechanisms within affected communities.
The association said the project is built on the principle that lasting peace is more likely to emerge from inclusive dialogue, trust-building and active community participation than from top-down interventions alone.
Experienced peacebuilders at the helm
Haruna, popularly known as Haruspice and holder of the traditional title of Oma Eju Ejeh Gaaku of Ankpa, is a strategic communications professional, public affairs analyst and columnist with Leadership Newspaper.
Over the years, he has written extensively on governance, national cohesion and public accountability for several national and international media platforms, including Premium Times, Daily Trust, TheCable, PRNigeria and AllAfrica.
His co-recipient, Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih, is a social entrepreneur, peace advocate and founder of the Julebrama Women and Children Initiative (JUWACI), a non-governmental organisation focused on community development and social inclusion.
Through JUWACI, Alih has led dozens of interventions across multiple communities, reaching hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries through programmes in education, healthcare awareness, rural livelihoods, peacebuilding and women's empowerment.
A member of the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship class in Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Delaware, she was recognised as the Most Courageous Fellow of her cohort.
Alih is also the founder of The Victoria Show, an advocacy platform focused on violence prevention and gender justice, and author of From Silence to Strength.
Accountability requirements for beneficiaries
MWFAAN said all recipients under the 2026 grant cycle are expected to complete their projects by July 31, 2026, in accordance with approved implementation schedules.
The association also directed beneficiaries to maintain financial accountability, comply with branding guidelines, submit comprehensive project reports and provide advance notice of project activities to support stakeholder engagement and media visibility.
Other recipients in the 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant cycle include Emonena Akwara for Teach A Child About Health, Michael Benjamin for the Community Digital Literacy Program for Rural Youth, and Oluwatomisin Adeyefa for From Soil to Start-Up: Economic Empowerment for Women with Disabilities.
MWFAAN said the grant programme reflects its commitment to empowering alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship to develop practical, community-based solutions to Nigeria's social and economic challenges while promoting collaborative leadership and civic engagement.
Source: Legit.ng
