Bridget Osakwe

Bridget is the National Network Coordinator for the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Nigeria. Previously, she worked as the Program Manager for the Women In Peacebuilding program (WIPNET) in Nigeria, which was launched by  WANEP and provides a platform for women’s groups and associations to promote social justice and advocate for vulnerable sectors of the population in times of conflict.

Bridget got involved in social development work in 1999 and has since then acquired training and experience in peace and conflict transformation processes. Her specific areas of expertise include women’s rights, human rights, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, gender and disaster, women and arms control, as well as women’s political empowerment.

Bridget has a Masters Degree in Peace and Reconciliation studies from Coventry University in the UK and has attended relevant training  to her work at both national and international levels. She has facilitated and spoken in several national and international conferences, including the “Interfaith Peace Building Consultation: The Need for a Gender Perspective” conference, organised by the Women Peacemakers of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) in Nicosia, Cyprus; the “Women’s Leadership and Agency in Conflict and Post Conflict Settings” conference in Freetown, Sierra Leone; the “Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Working Group Community Engagement Practitioners’ Workshop”, organised by the United States Institute of Peace in Washington DC; and “The Role of Women in Countering Violent Extremism” conference in Istanbul, Turkey.

Bridget is a Melvin Jones Fellow for Dedicated Humanitarian Services at the Lions Club International Foundation. More in-depth interviews with her can be found here:

• Conflicts in Nigeria, direct response to poor socio-economic issues – WANEP
• Government Must Protect Vulnerable People From Killings - Osakwe

Region: West Africa; Nigeria

Area of Expertise:  Human rights, Women’s rights, gender and disaster, women and arms control, women’s political empowerment.