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, and returned to the organisation in 2013. Working under Crisis Group’s West Africa Project, he leads the organisation’s research, policy prescriptions and advocacy on conflicts, insecurity, politics and peace efforts in Nigeria. Areas of Expertise Conflicts, security and rule of law in Nigeria Small arms and non-state armed groups in Nigeria Organised crime and maritime security in Niger Delta Nigeria’s domestic politics Professional Background Nnamdi has worked on security, politics and public policy issues in Nigeria for most of his working life. Before joining Crisis Group in 2006, he was a Senior Research Fellow and later the Head of Department of Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs at the Centre for Strategic Studies and Research of the National Defence College in Abuja. Between 1984 and 1994, he worked as a journalist for 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 the 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 research projects and peer-reviewed publications on conflicts, peace operations, small arms and organised crime in West Africa. He is frequently interviewed by the Nigerian and international media (including BBC, CNN, AFP, Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle), and regularly consulted by international organisations based in Nigeria. Languages English (fluent) Ibo (native) In The News 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 9 Apr 2018 Given the [Nigerian] government’s continuing inability to impose its own solution to the conflict [with Boko Haram] ... the government’s exploration of dialogue [with] the insurgents is understandable. Anadolu Agency Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 23 Feb 2018 The Dapchi incident [in Nigeria] is a major setback for hopes and expectations for a conclusive release of the remaining Chibok girls and all others still held by Boko Haram. Reuters Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 9 Feb 2018 Les forces armées tendent à employer la méthode forte et cela peut exacerber les conflits [au Nigeria] et créer de nouveaux problèmes de droits humains et de relation militaires/civils. RFI Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria 12 Dec 2017 In the last five years we've had a huge increase in the number of incidents [in Nigeria], the number of casualties and the bitterness that goes with it. In many areas it's like a no man's land. NPR Nnamdi Obasi Senior Adviser, Nigeria Latest Updates 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 Op-Ed / Global 23 February 2017 International Community Must Not Miss This Chance to Act on Lake Chad Crisis Originally published in IRIN News Commentary / Africa 4 August 2016 North-eastern Nigeria and Conflict's Humanitarian Fallout Commentary / Africa 30 May 2016 Buhari’s Nigeria: Boko Haram Off Balance, but Other Troubles Surge The peaceful election in March 2015 of President Muhammadu Buhari, a former army general, raised hopes that some of Nigeria’s most pressing security problems could soon be tamed. One year later, the new government has struck at the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency. But Nigeria is sliding deeper into other difficulties. Load more