Regional Focal Point for West Africa

Patience Ikpeh is currently the Head of Programs for the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP- Nigeria). Before resuming this position, she was the first Cora Weiss Peacebuilding Fellow at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), New York.  Patience has worked extensively on implementing the localization of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 within local communities in African countries.

Prior to her fellowship at GNWP, Patience was the Program Officer, Women in Peacebuilding program (WIPNET) for WANEP -Nigeria. This program seeks to build capacity of women and women’s groups to actively participate in conflict management and peacebuilding at all levels. Her core capacities are in the areas of Child and Women’s Rights, Humanitarian Emergency and Response Preparedness against Disasters, Gender and Peacebuilding.

She has contributed to several publications and researches on Women in Peacebuilding. Notable publications include The Niger Delta Crisis: A Cause for Concern; Women and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, Early Warning and Early Response to Conflict; Political Inequalities Affecting Women’s Participation in Representative Democracy in the Fourth Republic in Nigeria. Her most recent publication titled “The Untold Stories: A Dilemma of Women in the Agro-Pastorialist Conflict in Benue State” documents the plights of women in the agro- pastorialist conflict. It reveals the potential peacebuilding capacity women possess that have been ignored, putting forward recommendations for proactive and inclusive peacebuilding.

Patience is actively involved in advocating for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions, as well as UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.    She has worked extensively with community women, youth leaders and women focused non -governmental organization within conflict prone communities across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. She has a strong flair for research, facilitation and field work on women, gender, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Patience holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and International Studies from the University of Uyo, Akwa- Ibom State and a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.  Also, she has been trained on Human Security in Natural Resource Management at the West Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI) as well as in International Dialogue and Mediation Practices by the Uppsala University, Sweden.