CORN W/Africa, UK unveil platform to boost Nigeria’s peace initiative

The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa), in partnership with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is set to launch a new digital platform designed to make peacebuilding efforts across Nigeria more visible and connected. This was made known at a Stakeholder’s Dialogue on Thursday, held in Abuja The platform, known as Nigeria Peacework […]

The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa), in partnership with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is set to launch a new digital platform designed to make peacebuilding efforts across Nigeria more visible and connected.

This was made known at a Stakeholder’s Dialogue on Thursday, held in Abuja

The platform, known as Nigeria Peacework (NPW), aggregates structured data on peace actors, initiatives, and events nationwide. It was unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday under the Nigeria Peace Act.

Executive Director of CORN West Africa, Dr Timipere Allison, said the initiative was developed to address the imbalance in documentation between violence and peace efforts. “Nigeria has developed sophisticated systems for documenting violence. Building comparable systems for documenting peace are the next steps toward strengthening resilience,” he said.

Represented by Obinna Chukwuezie, Allison explained that while violent incidents are routinely tracked, peace initiatives often go undocumented. “The NPW platform aims 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,” he added.

George Biesmans, Project Officer for the Nigeria Peace Actors and Initiatives in Data (NPAID), said the platform emerged to shift the discourse away from conflict and violence. “We want to put the spotlight on instances of peacebuilding actors and initiatives that are taking place every day,” he noted.

According to him, NPW uses a hybrid model that combines automated data collection with user contributions, allowing peace actors to share lessons learned and best practices. “We hope that, together, we can move from fragmented, episodic intervention towards coordinated prevention and cumulated learning,” Biesmans said.

Head of Programmes and Operations at CORN West Africa, Omolara Raji, said the organisation is working with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), universities, and civil society groups to strengthen the initiative.

Chair of the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Knowledge Hub, Jaye Gaskia, described the platform as “a unified source for information, for researchers, for the media, for citizens, anybody interested.” He added that it would also promote shared learning across communities.

The unveiling was attended by representatives of the European Union, the Diplomatic Corps, IPCR, and other peace actors.