GRASSROOT RESEARCHERS - Key Persons
Is a program strategic management and leadership expert with a technical focus in peacebuilding, social cohesion, security governance, protection, institutional capacity strengthening, and localization, with a background in humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding. He takes pride in his career progression, starting as a volunteer in a national non-governmental organization (NGO), where he grew to the top management of the organization before moving to International NGOs, where he held strategic roles in different organizations, including MAG International, Tetra Tech International Development, International Alert, and Search for Common Ground, among others. He is also a researcher with interests in political, economic, and conflict analysis, stabilization, post-conflict development, and security governance. He holds an International Diploma in Project Management, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, a Masters in Development Studies, and an MSc in Public Health, with other professional trainings across a range of thematic areas.
Is the former Head of Department of Sociology at the Bayero University Kano (BUK), Nigeria where he has been working since 23 years ago. Dr. Bello has worked with international and local non-governmental organizations on youth development programmes including the Opportunities Industrialization Centers International (OICI) headquartered in Philadelphia, USA. He was part of a recent DFID and Commonwealth funded survey of selected Northern and Southern Nigerian Prisons to guide decisions on security and justice sector reform in Nigeria. He is a specialist in criminology, with interest in areas such as child abuse, youth deviance, gang study, cyber crime, human trafficking, and drug abuse. He holds a PhD in Sociology from BUK, with thesis on Conflict and Conflict Resolution. He is the co-author of the book titled Nature of Police Patrol in Kano Metropolis.
Job Titles:
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine ( DVM ), Novum Agric Industries
Is a Veterinarian, Researcher and Development Analyst of Novum Agric Industries, a poultry feed manufacturing company based in Panda, Nasarawa state, where he heads the quality control department of the company. He is involved with research design and implementation of feed performance experiments in poultry, data collection, processing and interpretation for policy formulation. He has also been involved in providing technical support to poultry farmers across the various geopolitical regions of the country. Another aspect of his experience includes quality control and assurance of input, in-process and finished poultry feeds as well as management of people and systems. The Excel and Statistical Process Control (SPC) expert is equally dynamic in the design and implementation of ram and cattle fattening programmes. His career has enabled him to mentor and train scores of people across the six geopolitical regions of the country to build sustainable economic ventures in the poultry industry while also providing technical assistance to youths and women entrepreneurs in Lafia, Nasarawa State in partnership with the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation and other religious youth groups. Passionate about the NYSC-MGDs advocacy programmes particularly as it relates to children and youths, he decided to take up teaching roles in secondary schools in Maiduguri as an avenue to contribute to societal development. He is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Maiduguri and is pursuing a Diploma in Quality Management.
He is a senior lecturer in the department of Information Technology at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, Nigeria. He has vast experience that cuts across the academia, the media and public service in Nigeria. Dr. Ngamsa is the post graduate coordinator of department of Information Technology at MAUTECH, Yola, and was the head of department of Languages and Mass Communication at Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola. He served as Commissioner for Information with the Adamawa State Government and also as Special Adviser on Revenue Mobilization to the Governor of Adamawa State. He was the General Manager of Adamawa Press Limited, TKT/CLIL Trainer at British Council, Mass Media Consultant with Petroleum Trust Fund at Gombe Field Office, as well as Member of the Adamawa State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy.
Is a dedicated advocate for women who have endured the ravages of war in Northern Uganda. As a survivor of the infamous Lord's Resistance Army conflict, she co-founded the Women's Advocacy Network in 2011, a Community-Based Organization working extensively with women who have experienced sexual violence during conflicts. Her focus extends to supporting women and children affected by war, particularly in securing the financial future of children born from forced marriages. Grace's remarkable work involves connecting these survivors with their fathers' families. She has held significant roles with organizations like the Gender Justice Unit of the Justice and Reconciliation Project and served as a Project Officer for the Reparations Project. Graduating from Gulu University with a bachelor's degree in development studies, she has excelled as a researcher, tackling justice, accountability, and community mobilization topics, even at the international level. As a testament to her experiences, Grace authored the book, "Not yet sunset: A story of survival and perseverance in LRA captivity." Her unwavering dedication continues to bring hope and support to the lives of countless survivors in Northern Uganda.
Is an exceptional advocate for women's rights, with a profound impact in addressing sexual abuse. As the founder of a community-based group dedicated to combating sexual violence, she fervently fights for reparations and justice for survivors. Her advocacy transcends borders, connecting her with individuals across South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, The Gambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a skilled women's human rights defender, Jaqueline collaborates with governments to address historical injustices and human rights violations. Her impactful strategies, developed with other human rights defenders and survivor groups, have brought about positive change. Jaqueline's critical role in the Kinshasa Global Declaration for the Reparations of Sexual Violence underscores her contributions. Beyond her advocacy, she serves as a Mental Health Champion for Suicide Prevention and is actively involved in developing survivor-centered initiatives. With a nursing degree from the School of Nursing in Kakamega, she actively practices as a registered clinical nurse in various healthcare areas in Nairobi. Her dedication and tenacity as the Chairwoman for the Nairobi County constituency of Embakasi South (DAP-K, Democratic Action Party of Kenya) drive her continuous pursuit of meaningful change and empowerment.
Is a social worker with over 35 years of experience working in child and women's rights and social welfare as a civil servant before moving into humanitarian work in Borno State and Northeast Nigeria. She has worked with the Borno State Ministry of Woman Affairs and Social Development, overseeing social services and activities across diverse human social strata with UNICEF, Maiduguri Specialist Hospital, and Maiduguri Orphanage Home. She has led the establishment of many child-friendly spaces across IDP camps and host communities in Borno State and has provided psychosocial support training to over 1000 community volunteers and animators responding to humanitarian needs in the Northeast. She has led different high-level delegations across different countries towards enhancing inclusive humanitarian response in Borno State with a special bias for women's empowerment and child and women's rights.
Is a dedicated advocate for women's rights and a champion for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. As the Executive Director of the African Youth for Peace Development and Empowerment Foundation, she has led efforts to promote gender equality in North-Eastern Nigeria for over 9 years. Maryam actively participates in impactful campaigns on peace-building and education at local, national, and international levels notably; 'Enrolling and Keeping Girls Child in School'' with Advocacy Nigeria, ‘'WorldAtschool'' with Litworld international and ‘'UpForSchool‘' campaign to raise 10million signature in promoting equal and quality education to every child. She is a member of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism in Nigeria (PAVE) and has contributed her expertise to projects countering conditions conducive to terrorism. With a sociology bachelor's degree, Maryam continues to work towards creating a brighter future with equality and empowerment for women, girls and boys.
Operational AreasProf. Gaya Best has consulted widely for international organizations such as UNFPA, UNICEF, World Bank, WHO, UNAIDS, The Carter Centre, UNDP, DFID, CRWRC, EU, CBM, RURCON, LATH and National Organizations such as CRUDAN, NACA, CCDP, EU-INSIDE and POD of ECWA where he led baselines, end-lines and monitoring and evaluation studies in areas of rural development, population and health. These engagements have deeply rooted him in the development, application and presentation of instruments, methodologies and data in development and social research. He is a professor of sociology and former dean of faculty of social sciences at the University of Jos, Nigeria, where he is been teaching for 37 years. He was the director of Centre for Continuing Education and chairman Committee of Deans and Directors at the University of Jos. He had a Master's and PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and a Master's in Social Works at the University of Jos. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Development Administration and also a Fellow of Nigerian Statistical Association. His publications cover in areas of gender, poverty, social protection and rural development.
She is a teacher, researcher, administrator and an activist. She has over 10 years experience with leading international civil right organisations such as the Global Foundations, the George Soros Network of Foundations and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) where she served as Board Member, Director of Nigeria Country Office, as well as the Executive Director of West Africa Regional Office, with responsibility of overseeing 15West African countries. Earlier in her career in the civil society, she served as the Executive Director of the Nigerian Women Empowerment Network (NAWENO); an NGO dedicated to promoting the welfare of women in Africa. Nana holds a doctorate in Development from the University of East Anglia, Norwich England, and also a Master's in Demography from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. She teaches in the department of Sociology at Bingham University, Abuja, Nigeria and is the Co-Founder/Head of Research and Training at the African Policy Research Institute, Abuja. Her research interest covers reproductive health, gender, population and African development as well as small scale industrial development in Nigeria.
Is an experienced program management specialist with a diverse background in the education sector. She has over 13 years of progressive experience, including managing partnerships in donor-funded education programs. Rukaiya's expertise spans various areas such as project management, training, and capacity building, with a focus on inclusive education standards, gender and disability mainstreaming, and child safeguarding. She is adept at fostering strong and lasting relationships with stakeholders. Her expertise also extends to learning material and educational assessment tool design, process improvement, data collection and analysis, and the utilization of ASER tools like EGRA, EGMA, and SEL. Rukaiya holds a bachelor's degree in economics, Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management and in Education, an MA in developmental studies, and an M. Tech in Education Administration and Planning highlighting her commitment to advancing education for all.
Is a community-based researcher with expertise in program management, and coordination. In Northeast Nigeria, he has worked on conflict-related issues for more than 13 years, documenting, promoting, and campaigning for the rights of survivors and people with disabilities at the local level. His areas of research interests include political and economic analysis, conflict analysis, and reparations for survivors of conflict related sexual violence. His work has helped shape international policies and the evaluation of current programs to meet needs. He has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Nigerian Network of Sexual Survivors with the support of the Mukwege Foundation (MF), which enhances women's capacity to effectively combat damaging gender norms in their communities. In the Lake Chad region, he supervised community-led action to enhance capacity and oversight on human rights principles in counterterrorism. He holds an MSc in Research and Public Policy.