Peace & Human Security
Boko Haram: Government and Peace Negotiation
Donor: OSIWA
Duration: 2013
Coverage: Nigeria
A monograph on Boko Haram, the Government and Peace Negotiation emanated from a workshop of the same name. The workshop brought together an array of Nigerians from different sectors to look at ways of solving the crisis. A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the paper, “Boko Haram, the Government and Peace Negotiation” by Prof. James Kantiok who examined different narratives related to the conflict and proposed potential solutions.
- https://www.africansecuritynetwork.org/assn/symposium-on-rising-insecurity-in-north-eastern-nigeria/
Talk on Boko Haram; Boko Haram, Insecurity, and the 2015 Elections in Nigeria: Taking Stock and Looking Forward
Donor: Swiss Embassy
Duration: 2015
Coverage: Nigeria
To broaden the discussion and look at the challenges that the country faced in the lead up to the 2015 Nigerian General Elections, the organisation in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy organised a ‘Talk’ on “Boko Haram, Insecurity, and the 2015 Elections in Nigeria: Taking Stock and Looking Forward.” In the run-up to the elections, the Boko Haram insurgency posed significant challenges to the peaceful conduct of the elections, including ongoing violence and constitutional issues, particularly where elections could not be held in areas affected by the crisis. The talk featured prominently Jacob Zenn from the Jamestown Foundation in Washington DC, USA and Prof. Kyari Mohammed from Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State. Both speakers shared their perspectives of the crisis. Members of the diplomatic community, civil society, and government officials at the state and federal levels participated and contributed to the talk.
CDD-West Africa is now a member of the Countering Violent Extremism Coalition, a network of civil society organisations working with the Office of the National Security Adviser. The coalition has developed a project aimed at addressing the insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria.
Rural Banditry in Northern Nigeria
Donor: Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP)
Duration: 2016
Coverage: Nigeria
While the Boko Haram insurgency threatened the country's stability, the long-standing conflict between farmers and herders escalated during this period, particularly in the Middle Belt region, leading to significant loss of lives and property. To address this issue, the organisation commissioned research on rural banditry in Northern Nigeria. Using a well-structured methodology, seasoned researchers examined various aspects of the conflict and made recommendations for resolving the crisis.
A research book was published, along with policy briefs outlining key issues and recommendations, which were widely disseminated. A workshop was convened to share the research findings with the Governor of Kaduna State and other critical stakeholders in Northern Nigeria. Additionally, a memo based on the research findings was submitted to the National Assembly during debates on how to address the challenges posed by rural banditry in the country.
Swiss Political Forums - Approaches to dealing with violent extremism: the case of North-Eastern Nigeria
Donor: Embassy of Switzerland
Duration: 2016
Coverage: Nigeria
These forums were jointly organised by the Embassy of Switzerland in Abuja and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD). They brought together seasoned experts and key stakeholders to discuss and analyse the push and pull factors, as well as approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism within the Nigerian context.
The forums also aimed to provide an avenue for knowledge sharing and experience learning. At the end of the series, a consolidated report with policy recommendations was intended for the government and others working to address the security challenges in North-Eastern Nigeria. These logically sequenced forums were:
- Doctrinal Analysis and Development of Counter Narratives (17 February 2016)
- Options to End Violent Extremism in North-Eastern Nigeria (3 May 2016)
- Amnesty vs Justice – Reconciliation in the Context of the North East (6 September 2016)
- Individual Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (4 October 2016)
These forums aligned with Switzerland’s support and engagement in the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), which partners with governments, civil society, and the private sector to support national strategies addressing local drivers of violent extremism.
Open Mind
Donor: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Duration: 2016
Coverage: Nigeria
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) led the research component of the Open Minds programme, in collaboration with CITAD and PIN. This project strengthened critical thinking, supported civic networks, and enhanced employment potential for young people in Northern Nigeria. CDD gathered baseline information on the population groups most susceptible to violent extremism, their principal drivers, and the information environment, including media habits across Kano, Abuja, and Bauchi.
CDD also tracked safety and security issues, ensuring the responsible implementation of the programme. This initial stage provided the foundation for scaling up the programme based on lessons learned.
De-Radicalization, Counter-Terrorism and Migration in Northern Nigeria (DCM)
Donor: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Duration: 2016-2017
Coverage: Nigeria
The "De-Radicalisation, Counter-Terrorism and Migration Project in Northern Nigeria" (NERSS) was jointly implemented by CDD, the Internal Peacekeeping Centre of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Institute of Legal Studies, with financial support from the UNDP and the Government of Japan. The project supported clergy, traditional rulers, and civil society in developing and disseminating counter-radical narratives to extremist ideologies. It also addressed distrust between security agencies and communities, which had hindered the effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures and contributed to the rise of extremism.
The project also strengthened community capacities in creating counter-radical narratives and promoted inter-community coordination to prevent and respond to radicalism.
https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/NGA/Progress%20Report%2030Nov2016%20rev.pdf
Farmer-Herder Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Project
Donor: Carnegie Corporation
Duration: 1+ Year (2022 - 2023)
Coverage: North West and Central Nigeria (Kaduna, Benue, Katsina, Nasarawa)
The Farmer-Herder Conflict Project, funded by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, addressed the growing farmer-herder conflict in Northwest Nigeria, which has spread to over 32 states. The conflict has exacerbated Nigeria's food crisis and worsened by the availability of small arms, climate change, and population growth. Traditional land-use dispute mechanisms have struggled to contain the violence.
CDD implemented several activities to build peace and promote social cohesion, including community dialogues in Kaduna, Zamfara, and other states, where local stakeholders—farmers, herders, religious leaders, youth, and women—participated. Peace committees were formed, and factions reconciled during these dialogues, with agreements on sharing resources.
A two-day national dialogue in June 2022 brought together national stakeholders to discuss the drivers of conflict, such as climate change, small arms, and ethnic tensions, and evaluated the effectiveness of government interventions, like the National Livestock Transformation Plan. Against this background, it was important to develop a concrete engagement strategy and programming to ameliorate the pains of citizens in the North-Western states; by undertaking a proactive approach to forestalling the security of lives and property in the region. To support the effort of the government and national and state level, the Centre for Democracy and Development under her Peace and Conflict programs implemented a series of activities focused on peacebuilding, and promoting social cohesion among citizens such as facilitating Community-Based Local Dialogues, organising a one-day capacity building and community engagement session in Kaduna and Sokoto (for Zamfara) with thirty-two (32) local actors in attendance from four communities including Bernin Kwari, Zango Kartaf in Kaduna, Shinkafi and Maro in Zamfara, with the presence of the community, religious (Christians and Muslims), traditional leaders, youths, women, farmers, and herders, on facilitating community-based conversations, social cohesion, and peacebuilding initiatives, organised a two-day national dialogue on managing farmer-herder relations in Nigeria amongst others.
The following activities were carried out on the project from January 2022 to June 202;
- State Level Community Dialogue Meeting with Shinkarfi, Maro, Birnin-Gwari and Zango-Kataf Local Government in Kaduna and Zamfara State: In an effort to recognise the critical role played by communities and appropriate local peacebuilding structures to resolve the farmer-herder conflict, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) held peace dialogues with local critical stakeholders in communities of Kaduna and Zamfara states in northwest Nigeria. These conversations aimed to support the building of peace architectures in local communities and bridge the gap between policymakers and direct victims of farmer-herder clashes. Groups represented included the Miyetti Allah Association, farmers associations, hunters’ association, vigilante groups, traditional leaders, religious leaders, youth and women groups. At the end of the engagement, local communities formed peace committees that will mediate on issues of farmer-herder conflict once it arises. Communities resolved to have periodic dialogues between Miyetti Allah and farmers association. Warring factions of farmers and herders were reconciled during the community dialogue at Zango Kataf resolved to share fodders and organic fertilisers among themselves.
- A Two-day national dialogue on managing farmer herder relations in Nigeria: To deepen the conversation from the community dialogues and capture all the emerging trends for policy advocacy, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) organised a two-day National multi-stakeholder conference on farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria on 7th - 8th of June 2022, Participants in attendance included the Emir of Argungu, the Commissioner of Internal Security in Kaduna State, members of civil society organisations, academics, and media organisations.
The conference examined the remote and immediate drivers of the farmer-herder conflicts such as climate change, urbanisation, ethnic identities, corruption, lack of opportunities for youths, proliferation of small arms and light weapons amongst others. The conference also examined local variations in farmer-herder relations across Nigeria including the factors behind certain communities’ successful sustenance of historically peaceful relations. The role of traditional institutions in managing farmer-herder relations was also addressed. Participants also examined the successes and shortcomings of government efforts to address insecurity and land-use disputes, especially the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP).
- Book Publication: “State Failure? Violence, Insecurity and Terrorism in Nigeria: In recent years, analysis of the farmer-herder conflict has been shrouded in controversy and appears to be sometimes misleading. This is essentially because of the changing conflict dynamics in Nigeria. Although farmer-herder conflict is unique and purely based on the contestation for fresh water and arable land, analysis of the conflict has not made a clear distinction between banditry and other forms of criminalities from the farmer-herder conundrum.
Therefore, to properly contextualise and provide evidence to guide analysis of the conflict, fifteen researchers were commissioned to carry out studies and draft chapters on the current security dynamics in the country and how it has complicated the farmer-herder conflict. Thirteen researchers and two editors with profound experience on security studies were selected to conduct the studies and contribute to the seventeen chapters book.
- Strategic Stakeholders Dialogue on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria: The Centre for Democracy and Development in partnerships with the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM) and the ECOWAS Commission organised a Strategic Stakeholders Dialogue on the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria. The deliberations at the meeting led to the development of the Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Implementation Plan as a means of countering terrorist activities in the region as well as putting in place large-scale measures against terrorism. CDD supported the work with daily updates of conflicts across the region and developed a monthly factsheet from our documentation of the tracker till date.
Strengthening Conflict Prevention Capacity and Enhancing Policy Coherence in West Africa:
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The project was designed to assist the building and consolidation of conflict prevention and policy coherence capacities of the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) and NGOs in the West African sub-region.
Strengthening the Delivery of Peace and Security Project
Donor: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office (FCDO)
Duration: 3 Years (2021 - 2023)
Coverage: Northern Nigeria and Border towns of Nigeria and Niger.
The Strengthening the Delivery of Peace and Security (SDPS) in Nigeria project was funded by the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO). It was designed to respond to the rising insecurity, weak or partial public comprehension of the drivers of conflict, and increasingly strained cohesion among Nigeria’s diverse social groups through a series of interrelated research and programmatic initiatives aimed at strengthening peace and security architecture in Nigeria. The activities are designed to positively influence and support public narratives, policy, and implementation through an evidence-based approach to strengthening social cohesion. The project delivered technical assistance to select security policy institutions, research and knowledge outputs that helped to counter fake news and disinformation, and the convened public discussions on and around peace building and security across Nigeria.
- Specifically, the project delivered the following: A National Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Promoting Peace and Security: CDD implemented a high-level national stakeholders engagement meeting in Abuja in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to discuss lessons learned and to develop a national strategy guide for addressing peace and security management across states. The engagement was a high-level discussion bringing together stakeholders whose mandates cover either internal or border security management issues.
- Capacity building of Hakimi’s and Ado’s on Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution: Under the SDPS project, the CDD trained Hakimis and Ardos (Hausas and Fulanis district and community heads) in Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina and Zamfara states on various strategies of conflict resolution and peace building. These interventions led to a remarkable improvement in the peace. For example, in Gatawa, a community in Sokoto State, that shares borders with Niger Republic in the North and East, and Shinkafi and Isa Local Government in the South now enjoy relative peace after the SDPs intervention. A representative of the Gatawa community in Sokoto who attended the training attested that the creation of the peace committee in the community has brought about relative peace. In his words “The peace accord has worked and the rate of killings in my community has drastically reduced.”
- Strategic Engagements: The project worked with the Commissioners of Internal Security and Special Assistant to Governors on security to create a forum for knowledge sharing and develop a common strategy for combating insecurity in the northwest region. The Centre also worked with the forum to develop policy frameworks, briefs, engagement strategies and communique to engage the state and federal government. This intervention is driving positive change in norm and attitude around peace and security both at the institutional, and community level. The Commissioner for Internal Security in Niger State emphasised how the Project has helped address the kinetic component of insecurity in the state towards peace and conflict resolution. In his words, “Yes…it (the project) has helped us in our non-kinetic effort towards community engagement and also peace and conflict resolution within the community base.”
- Local Community Dialogues: In an effort to recognise the critical role local communities can play in conflict resolution, CDD held peace dialogues with residents of Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states in northwest Nigeria as well as Niger state in the north-central. These conversations aimed to support the building of peace architectures in local communities and bridge the gap between policymakers and direct victims of banditry. Groups represented included the Miyetti Allah Association, farmers associations, hunters’ association, vigilante groups, traditional leaders, religious leaders, youth, women, and government officials.
- Development and airing of jingles to promote social cohesion, dispel fake news and misinformation: The SDPS project developed and aired a series of jingles to promote social cohesion, dispel fake news and misinformation. The popular “Akamata” jingle has resonated with many and become very popular across the country. An evaluation conducted on the project revealed that most respondents think the message and content of the jingle is appropriate, clear, suitable, and reflects the current reality around insecurity and fake news in the country. It has been proved to be culturally sensitive as a respondent from Sokoto, noted that the jingle message resonates with the tenets of the Islamic religion on peace.
- Training of media professionals on media sensitivity reporting: The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD, through the SDP project, built the capacity for media persons to focus on neutrality and facts-checking during conflict and sensitivity reporting to ensure that precise and reliable information is conveyed to the general public. This was aimed at promoting tolerance, dispel suspicion, and minimise disinformation and misinformation which are often implicated in escalation of conflicts.
- Knowledge Products: As part of the SDPS project, the Centre for Democracy and Development conducted several and delivered notable knowledge products. The first is the Multiple Nodes, Common Causes: National Stocktake of Contemporary Insecurity and State Responses in Nigeria. This was baseline research that x-rayed the conflict dynamics in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. It provided a nuanced analysis of the causes, drivers, actors and solutions to insecurity in Nigeria. It has become a widely cited publication on insecurity in Nigeria with many media houses running feature stories on it. Also because of the uniqueness of the northwest region, the centre also commissioned and delivered a research report titled “Northwest Nigeria's Bandit Problem: Explaining the Conflict Drivers”. This report has also become widely referenced by policy experts and scholars on northwest banditry.
In the build-up to the 2023 general election, the Centre for Democracy and Development struck an important partnership with Armed Conflict Location and Events Data (ACLED) to produce “Election Security Tracker” that actively tracked issues of political violence and raised recommendations for relevant agencies. This tracker with an interactive map was able to show the changing nature of violence and hotspots as it occurs. This helped the centre to easily predict areas with high risks of election day and post-election violence. Beyond being very helpful to security experts and policy experts, predictions made with tracker were largely correct. The places with a high number of pre-election violence also recorded high numbers of election day violence.
The Centre also provided over 40 periodic briefs and advisories on the conflict dynamics in Nigeria to the FCDO. This helped development partners to understand the trends and emerging conflicts and contributed to the structuring of their program’s interventions.
The SDPS project had a robust sustainability plan beyond the funding phase. The Centre for Democracy and Development built the institutional memory of its processes, approaches, and framework by working with organisations with the capacity to replicate the package of interventions after the life of the project (LOP) elapses. An example is the Usman Dan Fodio University Centre for Peace to implement its packages of interventions in Sokoto.