West Africa

In West Africa, we contribute to inclusive development, good governance and peacebuilding through inclusive natural resources management, reducing youth marginalisation and strengthening state-civil society relations and dialogue with business.

The Challenges

Across the Sahel, violence is spreading to areas that were previously unaffected. Competition over access to natural resources is increasing under the combined effect of demographic pressure and climate change. This exacerbates social tensions and socio-economic exclusion, particularly of young people and women, and makes populations vulnerable to the influence of violent radical groups. Current security-focused responses fail to address the deeper roots of grievances and sometimes fuel existing tensions.

The Opportunities

Despite a worsening security situation, West Africa remains home to a vibrant civil society with enormous resilience and some successful government institutions which are laying the foundation for durable peace. Socio-economic ties are strong between different national and ethnic groups, and traditional methods of conflict resolution help to maintain these ties and mitigate violence risks. Emerging social movements, often led by youth, advocate for change and accountability in the management of public resources.

Our Work in West Africa

We have worked in West Africa since 2014, and since 2017 have focused our work on Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal. We currently provide support for Organisational Development, Conflict Sensitivity, and Business Engagement to nine partners. Seven are civil society champions in their national contexts; one is a leading network of pastoralists present in nine West African countries; and one government agency with the rare mandate of steering national peacebuilding efforts in Niger.

We strive to continually promote a positive exchange of practices and learning between our partners, and the consultants accompanying them, at national and regional levels.

We work in: Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal

Partnership Highlights

Find out more about our partnerships in West Africa

The Team

Find out more about our West Africa team

West Africa Partners

The full list of our current partners in West Africa

Collective Inititiatives

The full list of our current collective initiatives in West Africa

Past Partners

The full list of our former partners in West Africa