We are thrilled to share our Inclusion documentary, which highlights the key achievements of the ‘Deepening Accountability and Strengthening Inclusion’ (DASI) project. Through advocacy engagements, the WEYOU Ambassadors and CSO working groups have been amplifying critical issues and demands as captured in the Women and Youth Agenda. These efforts have ...

In July 2024, SDN and USAID hosted a pivotal conference focused on mangrove restoration and conservation in Nigeria. Key stakeholders, including government representatives, researchers, and civil society organizations, gathered to discuss the critical role of mangroves in biodiversity, climate resilience, and local livelihoods. This conference led to the creation of ...

In the lead-up to the 2023 elections, it is crucial for voters to have a clear understanding of where each candidate stands on issues that matter most to the people of Rivers State. SDN, in collaboration with our partners, hosted a Rivers State Governorship Debate for the 2023 general elections ...

As part of our commitment to fostering greater political participation among Nigeria's youth and women, we are excited to share highlights from our recent campus campaign in partnership with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This campaign focused on sensitising university students on the importance of obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards ...

Join us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) with our special documentary. This documentary brings together our past and present staff, founders, partners, and executives to share the inspiring journey of SDN since its inception in 2004. Discover how SDN was founded with a vision to ...

In the Niger Delta in Nigeria, smallholder farmers are grappling with the devastating effects of climate change. As an organisation at the forefront of sustainable development, SDN has implemented this project that teaches farmers climate smart agriculture techniques. By adapting these techniques, farmers are empowered to adjust to the changing ...

Nigeria's digital economy is rapidly growing, and it is crucial that all segments of society, particularly women, are given an equal opportunity to participate and reap its benefits. At SDN, we are committed to bridging the digital gender gap in the Niger Delta by providing the necessary resources, training, and ...

SDN has worked with SOAS University of London (UK) to help map links between artisanal oil refining and other livelihoods, and highlight the ‘benefits’ or incentive structures of those involved in this informal economy. In this video, an owner explains how a typical artisanal oil refinery works. The rudimentary technology ...

1,000 days in to the Ogoniland clean-up, most communities are still awaiting clean-up, clean water, and health programmes This webinar introduces the launch of our dashboard tracking progress in the clean-up of over 50 years of oil pollution in Ogoniland. We were fortunate to hear from Harry van Dijk, the ...

With recent events such as the #EndSARS, COVID19 lockdown measures, and the Twitter ban rocking Nigeria, we must gauge the effects these events and others have had on civic space in the Niger Delta. Equally we must consider how well civil society can respond to these events in the Niger ...

SDN has worked with SOAS University of London (UK) to help map links between artisanal oil refining and other livelihoods, and highlight the ‘benefits’ or incentive structures of those involved in this informal economy. A wide informal economy has grown around the activities of artisanal oil refining in the Niger ...

In this panel discussion (held on 06.10.2020), panelists explained how they, and their organisations, help civil society and communities affected by the oil and gas industry make use of transparency initiatives to enact changes on the ground in the Niger Delta.

Our panelists are at the forefront of working with ...

GbaramatuVoice 5th Anniversary Lectures & Awards 2020 The fifth GbaramatuVoice conference centered around Security, Peace and Development in the Niger Delta, and SDN was delighted to be named "Niger Delta NGO of the year"! SDN's Programme Manager, Florence Kayemba IbokAbas delivered a short lecture on the our work piloting livelihoods ...

Between 2016 – 2017 SDN engaged with locals to design and implement long-lasting solutions to the artisanal oil industry. Alternative livelihoods were the number one priority – so SDN worked with former artisanal oil industry workers to identify and trial appropriate options between 2017 - 2020. Rice farming proved to ...

SDN partnered with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to train 15 youth from the Ogoni area how to fabricate a range of different cassava processing machinery. Over the training period, they also learned the business management skills required in the cassava industry. Following the training, we built a ...

SDN partnered with Pax Viva to demobilise and reintegrate cult gang members back into society. This process has been ongoing in Ogoni land since 2016, and reached 4,700 repentant cultists, with an 80% success rate on reintegration. A small group (10%) received economic reintegration support, which reinforced progress. Cultism is ...

Between 2016 – 2017 SDN engaged with locals to design and implement long-lasting solutions to the artisanal oil industry. Alternative livelihoods were the number one priority – so SDN worked with former artisanal oil industry workers to identify and trial appropriate options between 2017 - 2020. Fishing is the dominant ...

A comparative assessment of the environmental performance of 43 oil companies operating in Nigeria in 2018. In 2018 alone, more than 25,000 barrels—4 million litres—of oil were spilled in the Niger Delta, and nearly half a billion cubic feet of gas was flared. But how do the oil companies involved ...

Since 2018, the Innovation Hub has delivered workshops to over 3,000 participants, become one of just seven digital innovation hubs to partner with Facebook for their Nigeria programmes, and developed four start-up businesses, which now employ 22 people, with a further four graduating at the end of March 2020. Previous ...

An analysis of official and unofficial petroleum products in the Niger Delta This webinar provides an overview of recent research by SDN which indicates low quality, highly toxic fuels are being imported and widely used across the Niger Delta, if not the whole of Nigeria. This is likely to significantly ...

Although male-dominated, women tend to be heavily involved in the marketing and sale of artisanally refined products. This project selected participants from surrounding communities, focusing on women at risk of participating in the artisanal oil industry, who had some experience in aquaculture. 40 participants in total, of which 24 were ...

Real stories from ex-participants in the informal oil industry permeating the Creeks in the Niger Delta. See our graphic guide to understanding the industry, or read our in-depth More Money, More Problems report on the growth of the industry between 2012-2017 ...

In 2018, SDN visited Biseni, a community in Bayelsa State, to learn more about the local impact of the oil industry. We spoke to community members about the challenges they face. Oil pollution is a major issue in the Niger Delta, with millions of people depending on land and water ...

This agricultural pilot was carried out as part of a programme to test and promote viable, sustainable, and decent livelihood alternatives to the burgeoning artisanal oil industry. Find out more about the project. Read our press release to learn more about the aims of this pilot. Published: 11.12.2019 ...

The mounting consequences of climate change are taking their toll on Nigeria, from different angles: desertification in the north, deforestation in the south east, oil pollution and flooding in the south-south and erosion in the middle belt. Without effective policies in place to mitigate the impacts, the poor and vulnerable ...

A reality TV series, Dawn in the Creeks, commissioned by SDN, documented the transformation of 21 young people living in the Niger Delta who had been involved in violence in the past. The young participants creatively tell their personal stories of adversity and of turning away from violence towards peaceful ...