Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a new committee to look at how an amnesty for the Islamist group, Boko Haram, can be implemented.
The committee will consider a 60-day timeframe for dialogue and disarmament, according to a statement from the president’s office.
It will also look into support for victims of the violence.
The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has left thousands of people dead since it began in 2009.
The presidential committee, whose 25 members include military figures, academics and politicians, will try to address the underlying causes of insurgencies to prevent them recurring, says the statement.
In addition, President Jonathan has approved the establishment of another government committee on the proliferation of small arms in an attempt to increase security and reduce instability.
Both committees will be inaugurated on 24 April.
‘Significant move’
Religious and political leaders in northern-eastern Nigeria, the epicentre of the insurgency, recently called for an amnesty.