The Chibok Girls, Structural Violence, Gender & Education in Nigeria's N...

The Chibok Girls: Structural Violence, Gender, and Education in Nigeria’s Northeast. Chapter by Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome in The Stolen Daughters of Chibok, edited by Dr. Aisha Muhammed Oyebode. Photographs by Akintunde Akinleye. Published by Powerhouse Books in 2023.

Excerpt from the INTRODUCTION to the longer piece:

In this chapter, I argue that the best explanation for the plight of the poor in Nigeria is the pervasiveness and depth of structural violence, which denies them of human security (Galtung, 1969). Although structural violence is pervasive in Nigeria, there are gendered, religious, class and regional variations that cause more or less marginalization. Girls born into poor families are affected to a greater degree because they are already marginalized by the combined consequences of the prevalence of extreme poverty and the gender-based discrimination that causes bias against girls’ education and toward more responsibility for housework and caregiving, as well as early marriage, all phenomena that are ubiquitous in Northeastern Nigeria, a region with some of the lowest socioeconomic indicators in Nigeria, which has also been embroiled in conflict.

The Chibok Girls: Structural Violence, Gender and Education in Nigeria's...

#9YearsOn 96 of our #ChibokGirls are still in captivity. They must be rescued and reunited with their families. #BringBackOurGirls! This is a reading of an early version of my chapter in The Stolen Daughters of Chibok, a book edited by Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode. The book is available for purchase at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Daughters.../dp/1576878597/ref=sr_1_1? crid=2LOE04ZKVCVAR&keywords=the+stolen+daughters+of+chibok&qid=1680704368&s=amazon-devices&sprefix=The+stolen+daughters,amazon-devices,408&sr=1-1

#SomberTuesday February 7, 2023

   #SomberTuesday! Electioneering campaigns continue despite the chaos and mayhem attending the currency change. Candidates and their proxies want the electorate to believe that Nigeria needs them, and that they are veritable messiahs. Historically, such empty promises are not fulfilled. The road to hell is lined with good intentions. Important issues tend to have a short lifespan. The suffering of the masses get scant attention. Part of what the #EndSARS youth protesters wanted was an end to the normalization of catastrophes that seem to be inevitable when there is bad governance, impunity, and violence. They also decried police brutality. But they were subjected to state-sponsored violence and brutally suppressed. Most Nigerians also want a government that is committed to democratic principles. They want a thriving economy, security, and a good quality of life. They want an end to kidnappings & abductions. Those whose family members are in captivity cope with psychological trauma & huge financial burdens with help from very few friends who provide whatever material and psychological comfort that they can muster. There is trauma among IDPs from insurgencies & citizens who suffered tremendous human and property losses during unprecedented floods, that has them contending with the deaths of friends, family, and acquaintances, injuries, and losses of livelihood. On top of all this, the shortage of new currency has created even more pressure for people who are already struggling with precarity. Two years on, #Nigeria should remember the massacre of peacefully demonstrating youths at #LekkiTollGate & other locations. #NigerianWomenArise #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeriaNOW #EndSars #EndSWAT #EndImpunity Like the voice in the wilderness, I reiterate Howard Zinn's statement: “Civil disobedience, that’s not our problem. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while, the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.” Like the broken record, I keep saying: Let the kleptocrats give back our stolen wealth so that we can fix our infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and also offer worthwhile social protection to our people. Let the masses enjoy the full benefits of citizenship in Nigeria. Let the leaders and political class repent and build peace with justice. This is no time for politics as usual. The people elected should be those trusted to bring justice, equity and human security to the entire country, not expedient, unethical and egocentric individuals determined to dominate for self aggrandizement or sectional gain. We don't need oligarchs' continued domination. We also need a government that puts the interests of majority of citizens first. https://youtu.be/5iTC215xpX8

SỌ̀RỌ̀SÓKÈ! #EndSARS YOUTH PROTESTS IN NIGERIA, PART 2

 

SỌ̀RỌ̀SÓKÈ! #EndSARS YOUTH PROTESTS IN NIGERIA Part One

In well-functioning democracies, the right to peacefully assemble and protest is unassailable. Citizens who take such action expect a state response that results in political reform. It is also common knowledge that a state's primary responsibilities include the welfare and security of its citizens. In Chapter Two of the Nigerian constitution, this is stated unequivocally. Furthermore, citizens and state institutions should interact consistently "to negotiate how public authority is exercised and how it can be influenced by people" (Haider and Mcloughlin 2016). Efforts are made during the negotiations to specify common understandings about the "rights and obligations of state and society," how public goods should be distributed, and how inclusive, representative, transparent, and effective governance should be carried out (Haider and Mcloughlin 2016). These are group projects involving both state and societal institutions. The legitimacy of the state is dependent on good relations with citizens and an engaged, "organized, and active civil society" (Haider and Mcloughlin 2016). Thus, organized and peaceful youth protests should be regarded as a regular component of social responses to state action. It is also clear that protests are becoming more common around the world. Many people are questioning state policies and institutional power (Carothers and Youngs 2015). This category also includes the #EndSARS protests. I'll take a narrative approach to examine what the youth are doing in the #EndSARS protests. This includes how the youth define problems and tell their collective story, particularly when juxtaposing their Srsókè stance against the perceived Gbnudák strategies of the older generation.

Insurgency, Banditry, Abductions and Human Security in West Africa: Women’s Perspectives Co-organized by Professor Olufunke Okome, the Lagos Studies Association, African Peacebuilding Network, and the Nigerian Studies Association Format: Zoom Webinar Date: December 3 and 4, 2021 Time: 3:00-8:00pm (Nigeria Time); 9:00-2:00pm (US Eastern Time) Day I Panel I. Friday December 3. Time: 3-5pm (Nigeria Time) 9-11am (US Eastern Time) Panelists Ms. Iheoma Obibi Ms Kadaria Ahmed Ms. Ayisha Osori Titilope Ajayi Dr. Abosede Babatunde Moderator Ayodeji Fadugba

Gender, Elections Integrity & Accountability Moving Nigeria toward corruption-free elections 2023 III

Gender, Elections Integrity & Accountability Moving Nigeria toward corruption free elections 2023 II

Gender, Elections Integrity & Accountability: Moving Nigeria towards corruption free elections, 2023

Chibok Girls | Looking back at the kidnapping of 276 girls in Nigeria 8 ...

Thanks to SABC for ensuring that we don't forget that 109 of our #ChibokGirls and thousands of Nigerian girls and women, boys & men are still Boko Haram captives #BringBackOurGirls #Dapchi #Chibok #Maiduguri #humansecurity #conflict #peacebuilding #traumahealing

Remember 8 Years event invite video