Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria Please submit all media inquiries to nobasi@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Nnamdi Obasi is Crisis Group’s Nigeria Senior Adviser. He first worked with Crisis Group from 2006 to 2010, then returned to the organisation in 2013. Working under Crisis Group’s West Africa Project, he leads Crisis Group’s research, policy prescriptions and advocacy in Nigeria. Areas of Expertise Nnamdi has worked on Nigeria’s security and governance challenges for virtually all his working life. For Crisis Group, he has researched and written on: Militancy and violence in the Niger Delta Boko Haram insurgency Herder-farmer violence in central Nigeria Shi’ite-government tensions Biafra separatist agitation Election violence Military reform Professional Background Before joining Crisis Group in 2006, he was Senior Research Fellow and later Head of Department of Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs at the Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, National Defence College, Abuja. Between 1984 and 1994, he worked as a journalist on the editorial board of Concord Newspapers in Lagos, then the largest-selling newspaper in sub-Saharan Africa. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Demography and Social Statistics from Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife) in Nigeria. He also holds a Certificate in Facilitation of Peacekeeping Training from Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana. Select Publications Obasi has authored two books: Ethnic Militias, Vigilantes and Separatist Groups in Nigeria (2002) and Small Arms Proliferation and Disarmament in West Africa (2002). He has also contributed to several books and peer-reviewed publications on conflicts, peace operations, small arms and organised crime in West Africa. He is frequently interviewed by Nigerian and international media, and regularly consulted by international organisations working on Nigeria. Languages English (fluent) Ibo (native) In The News 5 Jul 2021 The persistent targeting of schools in [Kaduna] suggests the armed groups may be trying to break the state government’s resolve not to pay ransom to criminal groups. The Guardian Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 3 May 2021 Déby’s death is certainly a hard blow to the multinational efforts for both security and development cooperation in the Lake Chad region. The Africa Report Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 16 Mar 2021 The [Nigerian] military [has] yet to achieve decisive results against the insurgents in the northeast and various armed groups in the northwest. Al Jazeera Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 1 Mar 2021 Les gouverneurs locaux [au Nigéria] insistent pour dire qu’aucune rançon n’a jamais été versée, mais c’est très difficile à croire. Le Monde Afrique Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 28 May 2019 Massive unemployment [in Nigeria] has created a growing army of unemployed youth, vulnerable to recruitment in the criminal industry. BBC Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 3 Oct 2018 The fact that some of the recent attacks [in Nigeria] specifically targeted military bases shows they were deliberate, not opportunistic. Bloomberg Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria Latest Updates Op-Ed / Africa 9 June 2021 Nigeria: Livestock reform is key to solving farmer-herder conflict Originally published in The Africa Report Op-Ed / Africa 9 April 2021 How to Halt Nigeria’s School Kidnapping Crisis Originally published in World Politics Review Q&A / Africa 5 March 2021 Halting Repeated School Kidnappings in Nigeria Gunmen snatched more than 270 girls from a boarding school in north-western Nigeria on 26 February, releasing them four days later. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Nnamdi Obasi looks at why the authorities are struggling to prevent these mass kidnappings. Q&A / Africa 19 February 2019 Winning Back Trust in Nigeria’s Rescheduled Elections Only hours before polls were to open, Nigeria’s electoral commission postponed elections scheduled for 16 February by one week. In this Q&A, Crisis Group’s Nigeria expert Nnamdi Obasi says the commission and other authorities must act now to win back trust and reduce risks of violence. Op-Ed / Africa 29 May 2017 Nigeria: How To Solve A Problem Like Biafra Many Igbo feel politically and economically marginalised, and the government’s hardline stance is not helping. Originally published in African Arguments Load more