Cohort 1: Participants

Omosefe Oyekanmi is a Nigerian female researcher, lecturer, and Peacebuilding practitioner. She is presently a research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) cum academic facilitator at the University of Ibadan Distance learning center. She is a PhD Mentee of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and a Research Fellow at Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP). Omosefe Oyekanmi, is a graduate of the foremost university in Nigeria, University of Ibadan, where she obtained B.Sc. Political Science and M.Sc. International Relations in 2007 and 2010 respectively. With her ongoing PhD thesis, on Peace building in Post Conflict Cote d’Ivoire in the same university, Oyekanmi, has contributed to the discourse on the local dimensions of Peace building through traditional sociological institutions. She has published articles, cutting across humanitarianism, development, public policy, gender issues and international peace building. Drawn to a strict sense of mannerism, as a guiding principle for positive energy, Omosefe Oyekanmi is an ardent believer of liberty, equality, freedom and morality, a essential drivers of a just and peaceful society.

Cecy Edijala Balogun is a research fellow in the Social Policy Department, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Nigeria. She had her graduate studies from the University of Benin, Nigeria, (BSc. Agricultural Economics and Extension Services), her MSc. from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and is presently on her Ph.D. in Rural Sociology, in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a prestigious Scholar of the Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA), College of Mentors, 2019 Cohorts. She is a lover of research, and highly interested in rural sociology; gender and youth studies; and public policy; particularly as it affects marginalized groups. She is a contributor in the following books, “Theoretical Grounding in African Research by the CODESRIA”, (yet to be published); “Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter: A Multidisciplinary Primer” (In press); “Corohysteria: A Consequence of COVID-2019” (yet to be published), and “Great Books by Africans across the Disciplines” (yet to be published). She has also published a few articles, with a number already in the offing.

Dr Aminu Oluwafunmilayo Olarewaju is an Early Career Researcher at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science with First Class Honours from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Dr Aminu O. O. obtained M.Sc degree and received her Ph.D in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development from University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She had undergone research for organizations such as International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and Action Aid International. She is proficient in data coding, analysis and interpretation. She had scholarly articles that were published in both international and national journals. She is a reviewer for over 15 international journals. She is a member of professional bodies, namely International Research and Development Network of Children and Youth in Agriculture Programme (CYIAP-Network), Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON) and Rural Sociological Association of Nigeria (RuSAN).

TO Molefe is an independent editor, co-operative organiser and researcher whose interests include: epistemologies, value systems and policies for solidarity and collective ownership and action in the social and solidarity economy; epistemic justice and decolonisation; and non-hierarchical, participatory and transformative research methods. He is an MPhil candidate in social policy and development at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Agunbiade Doyinsola is researcher, educationalist and conflict resolution practitioner. Hi is a research fellow at the Department of Peace, strategic and humanitarian studies, University of Ibadan as well as a Principal Examinations officer at the National Examinations Council (NECO).

His on-going PhD thesis on Prospects of Confidence building measures and the challenges of peace processes in Cote d’Ivoire 1999-2015 is being undertaken at the University of Ibadan.

Dr. Ngara holds a PhD in Political Science from the Benue State University, Nigeria. He is a Research Fellow at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, National Assembly, Abuja. Dr. Ngara was a lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State. His research interests include: International Relations, Foreign Policy, Women in Politics, Election and Party Politics, Legislative Studies and State-Society Relations. He has published several research articles in local and international journals.

Dr. Fadila Jumare is a Research Fellow in the Department of Economic Development and Social Studies of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (National Assembly), Abuja, Nigeria. She holds a Doctorate degree in Social Development (with specialization in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDs) from University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2019. Prior to this, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree and Honours in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a Master's degree in Development Studies from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She has received grants from the University of Cape Town as well as John and Margaret Overbeek. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Economics and Behavioural Studies, Journal of Sustainable Development, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences,International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science and Nigerian Journal of Legislative Affairs. Her research interests include Health, Gender and Education Sector policies in Nigeria.

Sandra Munemo is a Masters of Population studies student at the University of Zimbabwe. She is a holder of an honours degree in Sociology obtained from the same university. She worked as a secondary school teacher teaching Sociology and History. She also worked as a researcher under the UZ-UNWOMEN Spotlight Initiative partnership to eliminate gender based violence against women in Zimbabwe. Sandra’s research focused on gender based violence against women with disabilities , specifically, the research focused on the forms of violence experienced by women with disabilities, socio-cultural factors responsible for the violence experienced and the utilisation of GBV services by women with disabilities. Her research interests are gender equality, reproductive health, climate change and migration.

Jacob Mahlangu graduated with a masters degree in International Relations at the University of Pretoria. In dvancing his career he is currently studying a postgraduate degree called 'early career advancement' at Gordon Institute of Business Science. He has spent the last couple of years tutoring underperforming students from University to high school. His dream is getting proper funding to finish his independent research based on decoloniality and fitting women in a patriarchal economy which favours men in terms of Business ventures and investments while hardworking women remain in poverty.

Victor is the head of the social protection unit at the social protection department at the Michael Imoudu National Institute to Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. He holds a Master’s Degree in Peace and Development Studies from the University of Ilorin. Victor is a self-motivated, dedicated, and committed early career researcher, whose goal is to advance the course of social protection, social dialogue, peace, reduction of inequality and environmental development for all peoples’ of the world through research and policy advocacy. He has published a number of book chapters and journal articles and is an awardee of the 2021 Better Evidence Project mini-grant by the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University, and the International Peace & Security Institute (IPSI) Research Grant in 2016.

Adedeji Ademola holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Diplomatic Studies from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria and has undertaken a Master’s degree in Business Administration as well as a Master’s degree in International Relations with a focus on International Political Economy and Security Studies both at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He was named the Best Student Leader during his BA studies. Also, he has worked in different capacities with local and foreign media organisations including Face2FaceAfrica, and AllyXTalk. He is an African Changemakers Fellow, Fellow of the Institut Francais de Recherche en Afrique (IFRA-Nigeria and a member of the Conflict Research Network West Africa. He has served as Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and has authored several biographical works and scholarly articles in the area of security and development issues in the Global South, Counterinsurgency and Political Economy.

Kolapo Quadri Abayomi is a researcher at the Department of Democratic Studies, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)-Abuja, and PhD student at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Abuja, Nigeria. His research interest includes International Relations and Comparative Politics, Legislative Studies, Policy Analysis, Election and Media, and Gender Studies. He has publications that cover Election and Electoral Processes, Subnational Legislative-Executive Relations, Abayomi’s current work includes “Transparency, Probity and Accountability in Nigeria (2021)”

Michelle Beeslaar is a South African public servant who served across portfolios of international relations, public administration capacity building, immigration, and environmental affairs. Her work for government was predominantly in Africa, stationed for numerous years in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She left government to return to her socioeconomic justice activist roots and enter academia. She received a bursary from the Department of Science and Innovation – National Research Foundation to complete her Masters at the University of Pretoria where she was based with the Centre of Excellence in Food Security to research the governance response to the world’s largest ever listeriosis epidemic in 2017/18 in RSA. With her Masters submitted for examination and completion in September 2021, she will use her WARIA research to identify academic research gaps that respond to a societal need for her PhD. Her attention for 2021/2022 is on WARIA and, contributing to a consultancy she co-owns that is concentrated on the provision of project management and controls systems for large to mega projects with blue-chip local and multinational companies in the agricultural, construction, gas, entertainment and tourism, and mining sectors – in terms of research, writing and communications.

Emily Ikhide is a Research Fellow at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), the think tank and capacity building arm of Nigeria’s National Assembly. She is an innovative researcher with over five year experience in development finance, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and project and program management. Emily holds a doctorate degree in Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and has conducted research on energy policy, gender, public finance, and agriculture in recent years. She has acquired trainings and developed competences in computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling, macro-econometric modelling, public sector governance and budgetary reforms, and gender analysis in economic policy research.

In her current role at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, she conducts research on socio-economic and political issues, and provide recommendations to members and relevant committees of the National Assembly. She has also led externally-funded research projects, where she worked with academic, researchers, policy makers and civil society organisations. Emily’s works have been presented in academic and policy conferences, and published in peer-reviewed journals. She is currently participating in the on-going British Academy Online Writing Workshop Series 2021 “Writing and Researching the Political Economy of Inequality in Africa”, researching on the political economy of gender-responsive budgeting in Nigeria.

Leo Igbanoi received his doctorate in Sociology from the University of Johannesburg having being a recipient of the Global Excellence Stature Fellowship. He currently works as a Research Fellow in the Department of Democratic Studies at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abuja, Nigeria. Leo was a visiting research scholar at the Department of Sociology, University of Maryland under the Research and Service Award, and has presented papers at several international conferences. He has research interests in migrant masculinities, the black middle class, and the intersections of gender and social policy, and is co-author of Does the Black Middle Class Exist and Are we Members?:Reflections from a Research Team.

Olatunde is presently a Lisa Maskel PhD Fellow at the Department of History, University of Ghana. His primary research area is Deportations involving Nigeria, 1914-2020. Olatunde is also currently a junior Faculty at the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, OOU, Nigeria. In April, October, and November 2019, Olatunde separately conducted archival investigations at the Gerald Ford Presidential Library/University of Michigan, the Friends Library Swarthmore College (Philadelphia), and the Robert Dole Institute of Politics /University of Kansas. Olatunde has been awarded grants/fellowships from the Gerda Henkel Siftung; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation; Swarthmore College; University of Kansas; University of Birmingham (2019); the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust through Professor Richard Cleminson of the University of Leeds (2019); Michigan State University; and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund of Nigeria. Taiwo has presented at conferences in Birmingham and Oxford. Taiwo’s article-Knights of A Global Countryside is forthcoming in Nigeria Studies. Another of Olatunde’s papers-Digital History:Finding Nigeria’s Historiography in a Digital Age- is currently under review with Issues in Historiography. Additional publications focus on the history of Nigerian deportations and Insurgency/Counter Insurgency.

Tinuade is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Political sciences and International Relations in University of Johannesburg. As a feminist political economist her work explores the gendered dimension of trade, financial inclusion, gender inequality and poverty reduction strategies. Tinuade has published a wide range of works on gender and development policy, the IMF’s external relations with the Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa with specific focus on the political economy of trade and aid. A research specialist in social sciences, specifically involved in political economic debates, gender and development studies, public policy and international relations, research methodology theories, human rights and sustainable development, poverty, and social inequalities/stratification.

Osolafia Muhammad Egye is a Security Strategist and Conflict Resolution Expert Currently Working as a Principal Researcher with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS is a Capacity Development Think Tank of the Nigerian National Assembly. Osolafia area of research interest are Demographic/Population Studies, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Money Laundry, Crisis Response and Disaster Management, Migration and Human Trafficking, Pastoralism and Transhumance Studies. Dr. Osolafia is an event manger and entertainer with passion in photography and graphic designing. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies with two (2) Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Security and Strategic (SSS) and Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (PCR) respectfully.