Missing the mark on organised crime in the Niger Delta
Current responses should be refocused to include community insights and participation.
Government efforts to stem organised crime in Nigeria’s Niger Delta have had little success. Offences such as oil theft, piracy, smuggling of contraband, arms trafficking and kidnapping for ransom remain prevalent despite new laws and the attention of security and military forces.
The major gap in state responses has been the lack of involvement of local communities in efforts to understand organised crime and how to prevent it. This seminar will discuss the limitations of current responses and how they can be refocused and strengthened.
Chairperson: Allan Ngari, Regional Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator – West Africa, ENACT, ISS Dakar
Opening Remarks: Representative of the European Union Delegation, TBC
Speakers:
Maurice Ogbonnaya, Senior Research Consultant, ENACT, ISS
Dr Alison Timipere, Assistant Professor, Nagoya University of Foreign Sudies, Japan and former senior programme officer, Social Democratic Network, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Emem J Okon, Executive Director, Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
