Nigeria

Since 2013, FFP has partnered with the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) to establish the Integrated Peace and Development Unit (IPDU), a center of research and innovation in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding in the Niger Delta. The IPDU aims to improve collaboration between peace and security actors in the region, while also enhancing the capacity and knowledge of these local, regional and national stakeholders around conflict early warning and response.

The IPDU’s work is composed of three interdependent components:

  • Research: the production and distribution of studies and briefs on conflict trends and patterns in the Niger Delta, helping to fill knowledge gaps on the part of the donor community and public sector stakeholders
  • Capacity Building: the provision of training for PIND staff and other peace and security actors in the region
  • Applied Learning: the implementation of projects alongside local and international stakeholders

During the 2015 Nigerian elections, FFP helped the IPDU establish an early warning and early response system in eighteen local government areas (LGAs) in the Niger Delta. This system included an SMS platform which received real-time updates on election day about election irregularities and violence, and facilitated coordination and response with local election officials and security forces. The SMS platform is now being used by the P4P Network to track and respond to conflict incidents.

The IPDU also continues to produce a wide range of alerts, bulletins and memos to inform local, national and international stakeholders – including donors, implementing agencies, and private sector actors – of the changing conflict dynamics in the Niger Delta.

       

C/M | 501.02