As part of efforts to strengthen responses to the nation’s growing security challenges, stakeholders in Nigeria’s peacebuilding and advocacy sector on Wednesday launched a new digital platform designed to document and track peace initiatives across the country.

The platform, known as the Nigeria Peace Web, was unveiled in Abuja by the Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN-West Africa) to provide greater visibility for conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts nationwide.

The initiative aims to systematically document, archive and map peace actions carried out by government institutions, civil society groups, traditional leaders, youth organisations and community actors working to prevent violence and manage tensions.

Speaking at the launch, the Executive Director of CORN-West Africa, Timipere Allison, said the platform was created to address a major gap in Nigeria’s peace and security landscape where violent incidents are widely tracked but peacebuilding efforts remain largely undocumented.

According to him, while insecurity trends, armed actors and violent incidents are frequently monitored by national and international systems, the same level of attention has not been given to initiatives aimed at preventing conflicts.

“All across Nigeria, community mediators, faith leaders, women’s networks, youth groups, traditional authorities and state peace agencies work daily to prevent violence and manage tensions. However, much of this work remains undocumented and disconnected,” Allison said.

He explained that the Nigeria Peace Web was developed to bridge that gap by providing an open-source digital platform where data on peace actors, initiatives and events can be aggregated and analysed.

Allison said the platform would help stakeholders identify who is working on peacebuilding in specific locations, improve coordination among actors and reduce duplication of efforts.

“It helps us see who is doing what, where and with whom, so that we can coordinate better and build on what already works,” he said.

He noted that the launch of the platform also marked the beginning of a broader conversation on how stakeholders across government, donor agencies, research institutions and civil society organisations can use the tool to strengthen peacebuilding practice in Nigeria.

According to him, the long-term success of the initiative will depend on sustained engagement from stakeholders who must contribute data, support verification processes and integrate the platform into their programmes.

Also speaking at the event, a panelist and lecturer in the Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the National Open University of Nigeria, Temitope Olowolafe, described the platform as a knowledge management resource that provides a unified source of information on peacebuilding activities across Nigeria.

Olowolafe noted that unlike existing conflict trackers that focus mainly on violent incidents such as kidnappings, attacks and fatalities, the new platform focuses on documenting efforts aimed at preventing violence and promoting peace.

According to her, the tool will also serve as a learning hub where researchers, policymakers, journalists and civil society organisations can access information on peacebuilding practices and replicate successful interventions.

She stressed the need for stronger community participation in governance and peacebuilding, noting that local communities must be empowered to play a more active role in managing their own affairs.

Olowolafe argued further that strengthening local governance and community self-administration could help address many of Nigeria’s security challenges.

“It’s important that we start focusing on what is positive, focusing on what works, focusing on what we can learn from, because that’s the only way we can actually tackle the myriad of problems,” Olowolafe stressed.

Participants at the launch included representatives of the diplomatic community, policymakers at federal and state levels, civil society organisations, researchers and community-based peacebuilding groups.