BY NATE HAKEN AND PATRICIA TAFT* With 2 million people, Bayelsa is one of the smallest states in the country, by population. Most are of Ijaw descent. Bayelsa produces between 30-40% of Nigeria’s oil and gas. In addition to the petroleum sector, the state has an extensive commercial fishing industry and produces oil palm, raffia […]
Category Archives: Nate Haken
Conflict Bulletin: Rivers State – January 2015
- 26 January 2015
BY NATE HAKEN Among the largest of the oil-producing Nigerian states, Rivers had been at the heart of the Niger Delta militancy until 2009. Now the state remains beset with a different array of political, communal, and criminal issues, including cult and gang-related violence, protests, and kidnappings. Rivers is a pivotal state in the upcoming […]
July 2014 Conflict Bulletins Now Available for Niger Delta States
- 12 August 2014
BY NATE HAKEN AND MARCELA AGUIRRE In partnership with PIND, The Fund for Peace collects data from a range of sources to cross-validate trends and track patterns of conflict risk at the state and local levels, which is then displayed on the P4P Peace Map.
Conflict Bulletin: Abia State – July 2014
- 31 July 2014
BY NATE HAKEN* Abia State has an estimated population of 2.4 million, predominantly of Igbo origin. Comparatively, it has not experienced the levels of violence and insecurity that other states in the Niger Delta have over the time period analyzed (although there was a sharp uptick in violence in 2010 associated with a surge in […]
Conflict Bulletin: Imo State – July 2014
- 31 July 2014
BY NATE HAKEN* Imo state has a population of approximately 3.9 million people, according to the 2006 census. The population is predominantly Igbo (98%). The capital city of Owerri is the largest in the state. Imo is made up of 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
Conflict Bulletin: Edo State – July 2014
- 29 July 2014
BY NATE HAKEN* Landlocked between Ondo, Kogi and Delta States, Edo is home to about 3.2 million people (2006 census), predominantly of Edo, Bini, Owan, Esan, and Afemai background. Edo’s economy centers around agriculture, including food crops such as yams, cassava, rice or maize and cash crops such as rubber, palm oil, cotton, cocoa and […]
Conflict Bulletin: Rivers State – July 2014
- 10 July 2014
BY NATE HAKEN* Among the largest of the oil-producing Nigerian states, Rivers had been at the heart of the Niger Delta militancy until 2009. Currently, the state is beset with a different array of issues as some former combatants have turned to criminality and uneven economic development continues to pose a challenge to sustainable peace […]
Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State – July 2014
- 10 July 2014
BY NATE HAKEN* With 1.7 million people, Bayelsa is one of the smallest states in the country, by population. Most residents are of Ijaw descent. Bayelsa produces between 30-40% of Nigeria’s oil and gas. In addition to the petroleum sector, the state has an extensive commercial fishing industry and produces oil palm, raffia palm, rubber, […]
Fragile States Index 2014: The Book
- 24 June 2014
BY J.J. MESSNER, NATE HAKEN, KRISTA HENDRY, PATRICIA TAFT, KENDALL LAWRENCE, LAURA BRISARD, FELIPE UMANA The Fragile States Index, produced by The Fund for Peace, is a critical tool in highlighting not only the normal pressures that all states experience, but also in identifying when those pressures are pushing a state towards the brink of […]
It Takes a Generation: West African Success Stories
- 24 June 2014
BY NATE HAKEN Many truisms about peace-building incline towards pessimism. There is a “vicious cycle,” a “conflict trap,” “unintended consequences,” the problem of “political will,” and a slew of transnational “exogenous pressures” beyond the sphere of anyone’s control. Certainly, the Fragile States Index (FSI) is often perceived as a buffet of bad news stories and […]