IPCR partners Sussex Varsity to address Sub-Sahara Africa conflict

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has gone into collaboration with the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) of the University of Sussex, England to address conflict in Sub-Sahara Africa.
In a press statement released in Abuja yesterday and signed by the IPCR Resident Information Officer (RIO), Mr. Abu I. Michael, it noted that towards giving teeth to the collaboration marking the commencement of activities of the partnership, the duo will host workshops on conflict and private economic activities in Benue, Kano,
and Cross Rivers States,
It informed that the Acting Director General of IPCR, Dr. Bakut tswah Bakut will be ahead of the experts to the selected states in the country with the workshops taking place in selected African States.
According to the statement, “The essence of the workshops is to help in providing nuanced understanding of how small businesses make decisions and operate in conflict affected communities.
“Experts from within and outside the country will be expected to impact on the robust discussions on burning national issues of conflicts and its impact on non-farming enterprises so as to add value to the existing research findings that will enable the mapping out of possible policy options for stakeholders’ interventions in businesses in conflict areas.
“IPCR is collaborating with the Science Policy Research Unit of University of Sussex because of its firm belief in empirical findings and results on conflict matters, and not the prevalent anecdotal evidences that abounds on conflict issues.
“There is no doubt that conflict is becoming the defining features of our continent-Africa and Nigeria inclusive.
“Regrettably, evidence on conflict and private economic activities particularly its impact on small businesses in conflict-affected areas are lacking in the peace and conflict discipline, and even in economics or business studies.
“It is this empirical attempt to investigate this phenomenon of the impact of conflict on small businesses that excited us at the Institute and further elicited our desire for the partnership with Sussex” the statement concluded.