Lagos: The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa) and other partners have unveiled a new digital platform, Nigeria Peacework (NPW), aimed at making peace efforts across the country visible, connected, and searchable. The platform was developed under the Nigeria Peace Act and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Nigeria Partnership for Peace-building and Development Initiative (NPAID), among others.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the platform aggregates structured data on peace actors, initiatives, and peace-related events across Nigeria. Executive Director of CORN West Africa, Dr. Timipere Allison, stated that the platform could help shift peace practices in Nigeria towards coordinated prevention. It is designed to track various peace-building initiatives in the country, including efforts of state and non-state actors involved in conflict resolution.
Allison noted the platform addresses the gap in documenting peace efforts in Nigeria, where violent incidents and insecurity trends are routinely tracked, but peace initiatives often go undocumented. “Nigeria has developed sophisticated systems for documenting violence. Building comparable systems for documenting peace are the next steps toward strengthening resilience,” he remarked.
Representing Allison, Obinna Chukwuezie, an official in CORN West Africa, elaborated on the platform’s aim to strengthen relationships and fieldwork by helping stakeholders see who is doing what, where, and with whom, to coordinate better, reduce duplication, and build on what already works. Allison emphasized the platform’s success relies on peace actors across Nigeria choosing to use, shape, and own it.
The Nigeria Peace Actors and Initiatives in Data (NPAID) Project Officer, George Biesmans, explained that the platform emerged in response to the dominant narrative focused on conflict and violence. It promotes peace initiatives and highlights often-overlooked peacebuilding efforts across the country. Biesmans stated that the NPW has two main objectives: to shift the discourse away from conflict and violence, and to fill the peace data gap by providing systematic knowledge on peacebuilding efforts.
Omolara Raji, Head of Programmes and Operation at CORN West Africa, highlighted the organisation’s collaboration with relevant agencies, such as the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and the Institute of Peace Research, to promote peace. Jaye Gaskia, Chair of the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Knowledge, Innovation, and Resource Hub, described the platform as a web-based resource where one can see and track peace efforts nationwide.
The platform is expected to serve as a unified source of information for researchers, media, citizens, and anyone interested in peace initiatives, promoting shared learning and allowing users to learn from others’ experiences. Other speakers at the event included representatives from the European Union, the Diplomatic Corp, IPCR, and other peace actors.