Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria

The Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN) is a Nigerian non-governmental organisation established in February 2004 in response to the wave of violent sectarian conflicts affecting the country. Its stated mission is to strengthen the values of peace, cultural harmony and religious tolerance among Nigeria's diverse communities, pursued through a broad spectrum of community-based peacebuilding and people-oriented development activities. CEPAN works at the community level, engaging the religious, cultural and social divisions that have driven recurring violence in parts of Nigeria. Rather than operating as a large national institution, it positions itself as a grassroots peacebuilding body, working directly with affected communities and local stakeholders. Internationally, CEPAN is profiled as a partner of Conciliation Resources, the UK-based peacebuilding organisation. The two organisations have collaborated on youth reintegration work in central Nigeria, an area affected by communal and sectarian violence. This partnership places CEPAN within a wider network of West African peacebuilding organisations supported by Conciliation Resources. CEPAN is recorded as a non-governmental organisation. Detailed public information about its governance, funding, staffing and programme portfolio is limited, and the organisation is primarily documented through its partner profile rather than through extensive independent coverage.

The Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN) was established in February 2004. Its founding was a direct response to the plethora of violent sectarian conflicts in Nigeria at the time, which had exposed deep religious and cultural fractures in many communities. From the outset, CEPAN framed its work around strengthening the values of peace, cultural and religious harmony among the diverse peoples of Nigeria. Its approach has centred on community-based peacebuilding and people-oriented development activities rather than high-level political mediation alone. This grassroots orientation reflects a belief that sustainable peace depends on engaging the communities most affected by violence and on addressing the everyday drivers of conflict. CEPAN's profile has been documented through its partnership with Conciliation Resources, an international peacebuilding organisation founded in 1994 and based in the United Kingdom. Conciliation Resources works with over 80 partners worldwide, including organisations across West Africa. Within that network, CEPAN and Conciliation Resources have worked together on youth reintegration in central Nigeria — a region that has experienced communal and sectarian violence and where reintegrating young people affected by conflict is a key peacebuilding challenge. Publicly available information about CEPAN's internal development, leadership transitions, funding sources and programme expansion is limited. The organisation is recorded as a non-governmental organisation and continues to be active in Nigerian peacebuilding, primarily known through its community-level work and its international partnership.

• 2004

  CEPAN is established in February 2004 in response to violent sectarian conflicts in Nigeria.

• CEPAN and Conciliation Resources collaborate on youth reintegration work in central Nigeria.

Grassroots Nigerian NGO focused on community-based peacebuilding, cultural and religious harmony, and people-oriented development.

1. 1Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeria (CEPAN) | Conciliation Resourcesc-r.org
2. 2Centre for Peace Advancement in Nigeriawikidata.org
3. 3Our history | Conciliation Resourcesc-r.org
4. 4Who we are | Conciliation Resourcesc-r.org