- Institute cites manpower shortages, poor funding, inadequate logistics as early-warning systems struggle to prevent violence across Nigeria
The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called for urgent strengthening of its zonal and state peacebuilding offices across Nigeria, warning that inadequate funding, personnel shortages and logistical constraints are undermining efforts to prevent conflicts and contain escalating insecurity.
The Institute said banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts and other security threats continued to expose weaknesses in Nigeria’s conflict-prevention architecture, particularly the gap between early-warning information and timely intervention by relevant authorities.
The proposed strengthening initiative is expected to improve conflict monitoring, mediation, community engagement and rapid response, with field offices playing a more effective role in identifying emerging threats and developing locally appropriate peacebuilding interventions.
Director of Zonal and State Peacebuilding Offices, Ambrose Okosun, disclosed this during a preparatory meeting convened to coordinate a proposed sensitisation programme for the Institute’s zonal and state offices.
Okosun said the meeting was designed to harmonise the programme’s objectives, methodologies and logistics while providing an opportunity for officers to identify operational challenges and develop strategies tailored to the security realities of their respective locations.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges were diverse and interconnected, requiring stronger institutional capacity to prevent violence, mediate disputes and promote peaceful coexistence.
According to him, the Institute’s field offices occupy a strategic position because of their proximity to affected communities. However, their ability to fulfil this mandate has been constrained by inadequate resources, insufficient training and limited personnel.
The proposed sensitisation programme is expected to strengthen officers’ skills in conflict prevention, mediation and peace education, facilitate the exchange of best practices and produce practical action plans addressing the underlying causes of violence.
Field reports expose operational gaps
Reports presented by the zonal offices revealed significant operational deficiencies, with some units struggling to monitor emerging threats, conduct field investigations and maintain meaningful engagement with vulnerable communities.
In the North-Central, the Institute’s North Central II Zonal Office in Jos reported persistent communal violence, farmer-herder tensions, attacks on rural settlements, displacement and disputes over land and other natural resources in Plateau State.
The office identified the March 29, 2026, attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, as a major security incident during the reporting period, highlighting the risks of retaliatory violence and the importance of timely preventive intervention.
It called for stronger community-based early-warning mechanisms to ensure that information gathered from residents is verified, transmitted to the appropriate authorities and translated into concrete action before tensions escalate.
The office also recommended sustained dialogue between farmers and herders, seasonal conflict-risk mapping and the inclusion of women, young people, persons with disabilities, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and security agencies in peacebuilding initiatives.
In Kwara State, the Institute reported mounting security pressures associated with banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities, particularly in vulnerable border areas and locations near forest corridors.
The report underscored the importance of collaboration between formal security agencies and community-based actors, citing a joint operation in Lade, Patigi Local Government Area, in September, which reportedly neutralised four suspected bandits and recovered 35 stolen cattle following an attack on a pastoral settlement.
The reported abduction of a newlywed couple and four other people along the Eruku-Iyemero border road in September further highlighted the risks confronting rural communities and transport routes linking Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states.
To address the threats, the Institute recommended stronger intelligence-sharing arrangements between states, improved forest surveillance, functional community-based early-warning systems and sustained engagement between farming and pastoralist communities.
North-West offices crippled by resource shortages
The resource crisis was particularly pronounced in the North-West, where the Katsina-based peacebuilding office, responsible for Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states, reported having only two staff members to coordinate activities across the four states.
The office also reported the absence of an official vehicle for field operations and shortages of computers, communication equipment, office furniture and other essential resources.
These deficiencies, it said, constrained its ability to conduct research, monitor conflict situations, engage communities and respond effectively to emerging threats.
Despite undertaking community sensitisation, training community-based reporters and supporting conflict early-warning initiatives, the office acknowledged that its operational reach remained limited by inadequate capacity.
A second North-West office in Kaduna, covering Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states, similarly reported that banditry, kidnapping, rural violence and cult-related activities continued to threaten communities and livelihoods.
It called for improved inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing, community policing and expanded peacebuilding interventions, while highlighting limited staffing and the absence of dedicated office facilities.
The reports point to the need for sustained investment in the Institute’s field operations, particularly in regions where insecurity requires regular engagement with remote and vulnerable communities.
Insurgency, displacement persist in North-East
In the North-East, the Institute identified the continuing insurgency involving Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as a major driver of insecurity, displacement and livelihood disruption.
Its report documented militant activities around the Lake Chad area, attacks on rural communities and military positions, and clashes between farmers and herders.
An attack in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State on October 2 reportedly killed 18 villagers who had gone to collect firewood, while other residents were reported missing.
Although military operations had reportedly resulted in the neutralisation of insurgents, arrests of suspected collaborators and the rescue of civilians, the Institute stressed that military action alone would not guarantee sustainable peace.
It identified poverty, unemployment, limited access to education, perceived marginalisation and inadequate basic services as underlying conditions that must also be addressed to reduce the appeal and persistence of violent extremism.
The report reinforces the need to complement security operations with community reconciliation, livelihood support, social development and measures to rebuild trust in affected areas.
South-East records deadly communal clashes
In the South-East, the Institute’s report covering January to September 2026 documented incidents involving murder, kidnapping, banditry, cultism, communal disputes, political violence and alleged extrajudicial killings.
The report recorded five communal incidents in Ebonyi State that resulted in 16 deaths, alongside cult-related violence, murder and banditry in parts of Anambra and Enugu states.
The Institute recommended stronger community engagement, improved conflict monitoring and sustained collaboration between security agencies and local stakeholders to address the region’s varied security challenges.
It also emphasised the importance of identifying local triggers of violence and strengthening channels through which residents can report threats before they develop into full-scale conflicts.
South-West faces wider public-safety threats
In the South-West, the Institute identified cult-related violence, armed robbery, domestic violence, protests, building collapses, fires and flooding as concerns requiring preventive action and stronger public-safety coordination.
Monitoring reports from Lagos and Ogun states highlighted the need for peaceful management of protests, youth engagement, improved relations between communities and the police, emergency preparedness and stronger protection for vulnerable groups.
The Institute also called for more effective early-warning systems in flood-prone communities and better coordination among government agencies, security institutions and community organisations.
The findings suggest that peacebuilding interventions must extend beyond conventional security threats to address disasters, social tensions and other public-safety risks capable of destabilising communities.
Early warnings must trigger action
Across the six geopolitical zones, a recurring concern was the failure to consistently translate information about emerging threats into timely preventive interventions.
The Institute recommended strengthening community-level early-warning networks, improving information verification, establishing regular coordination mechanisms and expanding peace education in schools and vulnerable communities.
It also advocated greater participation by women and young people, stronger partnerships with traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations and academic institutions, and closer engagement between security agencies and residents.
The recommendations underscore the importance of establishing clear communication channels and response procedures linking community informants, IPCR field officers, government authorities and security agencies.
Without such coordination, early-warning systems risk becoming mechanisms for documenting threats rather than instruments for preventing violence.
2027 elections heighten need for preventive action
With Nigeria approaching the 2027 general elections, the zonal offices also highlighted the need for sustained engagement with political parties, electoral authorities, security agencies and community leaders to prevent political tensions from escalating into violence.
The Institute identified hate speech, misinformation and election-related tensions as risks requiring early intervention, public sensitisation and coordinated peacebuilding strategies.
The proposed sensitisation programme is expected to address some of the identified weaknesses by improving officers’ technical capacity, strengthening coordination and developing context-specific approaches to conflict prevention.
However, the reports indicate that training alone will not resolve the challenges confronting the Institute’s field operations without adequate funding, personnel, transport, communication equipment and functional office facilities.
The broader challenge for IPCR is to build a sufficiently resourced and responsive field network capable of turning information from vulnerable communities into timely interventions that prevent violence, reduce displacement and protect lives and livelihoods.
As insecurity continues to affect communities across Nigeria, the Institute’s initiative highlights the need to complement security operations with conflict prevention, mediation, reconciliation and sustained efforts to address the social and economic conditions that fuel violence.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the initiative will depend not only on the capacity of IPCR officers to identify warning signs but also on the willingness and ability of relevant authorities to act on credible intelligence before conflicts escalate.
