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 seeks to strengthen interfaith dialogue and address recurring communal and ethno-religious conflicts across Nigeria's Middle Belt region. MWFAAN stated that the initiative supports alumni-led, community-based solutions to national development challenges.
Grant for Peacebuilding in Conflict-Prone 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. This programme supports community-driven solutions to pressing social and development challenges in Nigeria. The Middle Belt has been scarred by recurring ethno-religious and communal violence, displacing families and deepening social divisions.
MWFAAN explained that the initiative will use strategic communication tools and grassroots engagement to promote peaceful coexistence, strengthen interfaith understanding, and establish sustainable conflict-resolution mechanisms. The association emphasized that lasting peace emerges from inclusive dialogue, trust-building, and active community participation rather than top-down interventions.
Experienced Peacebuilders Lead the Project
Haruna, known as Haruspice and holder of the traditional title Oma Eju Ejeh Gaaku of Ankpa, is a strategic communications professional, public affairs analyst, and columnist for Leadership Newspaper. He has written extensively on governance, national cohesion, and public accountability for platforms such as 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). This NGO focuses on community development and social inclusion. Through JUWACI, Alih has led dozens of interventions in education, healthcare, rural livelihoods, peacebuilding, and women's empowerment, reaching hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries. A member of the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship class in Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Delaware, she was recognized as the Most Courageous Fellow of her cohort. Alih also founded The Victoria Show, an advocacy platform for violence prevention and gender justice, and authored "From Silence to Strength."
Accountability and Reporting Requirements
MWFAAN stated that all 2026 grant recipients must complete their projects by July 31, 2026, according to approved schedules. Beneficiaries are required to maintain financial accountability, comply with branding guidelines, submit comprehensive project reports, and provide advance notice of activities to support stakeholder engagement and media visibility.
Other recipients of the 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant 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 noted that the grant programme reflects its commitment to empowering Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni to develop practical, community-based solutions to Nigeria's challenges while promoting collaborative leadership and civic engagement.
