Through our eyes
May 2018
It is nearly ten years since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria. Throughout the insurgency, the perspectives of local populations have all too-often been overlooked and excluded. Existing ‘community engagement’ has often been limited to consultation with community elders and traditional leaders on the assumption that they represent the voice of their constituents. This research, conducted in partnership between Conciliation Resources and the Kukah Centre, seeks to capture the local population’s perspectives on existing responses to the violence and their vision for long-term solutions.
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Between October and December 2017, over 1,000 people – at least 650 men and 350 women – from three Local Government Areas (LGAs) in each of the three most badly affected States – Adamawa, Borno and Yobe – were engaged in a mix of close-ended surveys, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Focus group discussions were conducted in mixed and single gender groups. The findings were validated through a series of engagements with stakeholders. The objective of the research was to bring the voices of local populations to policymakers and to provide broader insights as to how responses to an armed insurgency can be made more inclusive of local stakeholders and more responsive to their priorities, approaches and needs.
This report is produced as part of a three-year research programme with Saferworld and International Alert on key processes that contribute to peace. Funded by the UK Department for International Development, the research focuses on a range of conflict-affected areas and approaches, including economic development, peace processes and institutional reforms. We are also looking at ways to address gender drivers of conflict. The programme will generate knowledge, lessons and recommendations tailored to policymakers and practitioners working on peace and security. Find out more.
In this video, Father Atta Barkindo, Director of the Kukah Centre, shares some of the key findings from the report.