Background and Purpose
UCSD, IFPRI, and OAU are conducting an academic research project examining violence, conflict, and peacebuilding dynamics in Ogun, Osun, and Oyo states. The project is engaging experienced local journalists to strengthen the research team’s understanding of violent events and related community dynamics between January 2024 and August 2026, including events that may not have been reported in the media, lower intensity intercommunal events, and/or events that are typically underreported in conflict events datasets.
The assignment has two components:
- conflict-event and community-level reporting across 50 assigned communities within one state (concentrated to a smaller number of LGAs within each state);
- more intensive, in-person research on peacebuilding in 20 of those communities, which will be randomly selected by the project team.
The journalist will collect and report information using the Journalist Conflict Event Reporting Instrument supplied by the project team.
Geographic Scope
The journalist will be assigned 50 communities (each in a different ward) within one of Ogun, Osun, or Oyo state. The project team will provide the journalist with the list of assigned communities; and a subset of 20 communities selected for in-person peacebuilding research.The journalist is not responsible for selecting the 20 intensive-study communities. For purposes of conflict-event reporting, qualifying events include events occurring within the assigned community as well as within an approximately 10-kilometer radius of the community, in accordance with the reporting instrument.
Scope of Work
A. Conflict-Event and Community Reporting: 50 Communities
For each assigned community, the journalist will complete Parts I–III and Part VI of the Journalist Conflict Event Reporting Instrument. This work will include:
- identifying the community, Local Government Area, and GPS coordinates;
- determining whether qualifying violent events or peaceful protests occurred during the relevant reporting period;
- identifying the types of conflict and violence of concern to community members;
- documenting the frequency and characteristics of conflict occurring in the community;
- gathering information on community-level patterns of violence, including the questions contained in the instrument concerning violence against women;
- gathering the community-level contextual information requested in the instrument;
- preparing 1–2 pages of narrative notes for each community.
Communities where no qualifying violent events are identified remain part of the assignment and must still be reported on as required by the instrument.
B. Event-Level Reporting
For every qualifying event identified for the period January 2024 through August 2026, the journalist will complete the event-reporting questions contained in Part II of the instrument.
The assignment is not limited to large, fatal, or newsworthy incidents. Journalists should document all qualifying incidents identified through their reporting, including smaller events, events without casualties, and peaceful protests or demonstrations, as defined in the reporting instrument.
C. Intensive Peacebuilding Research: 20 Selected Communities
The project team will randomly select 20 of the journalist’s 50 assigned communities for more intensive peacebuilding research.
The journalist is required to physically visit each of these 20 communities.
In addition to completing the conflict and community reporting required for all assigned communities, the journalist will complete Parts IV and V of the Journalist Conflict Event Reporting Instrument for each of these 20 communities.
This component will examine, among other topics:
- whether and how community members attempt to reduce tensions before violence occurs;
- mechanisms used to resolve conflict after it begins;
- actors involved in prevention and conflict resolution;
- relationships and coordination among community actors and neighboring communities;
- the role of women in preventing and resolving conflict;
- formal and informal forms of women’s peacebuilding;
- the types of conflict in which women do or do not participate in resolution efforts;
- perceptions of the effectiveness of women’s peacebuilding;
- changes in women’s and men’s roles in the community;
- women’s civic participation and ability to influence community decisions;
- collective action by women;
- backlash experienced by women who participate in conflict response; and
- relevant leadership, political, advocacy, or collective-action training identified through the reporting.
The journalist should gather sufficient information from relevant community members and other credible sources to answer these questions substantively.
Deliverables
The journalist’s deliverables are:
- Completed community reporting for 50 assigned communities,
- Completed intensive peacebuilding reporting for 20 project-selected communities, including physical visits to each community and completion of Parts IV and V of the instrument.
- Narrative notes of 1–2 pages for each assigned community.
Essential Requirements
Professional journalist with demonstrated experience reporting on conflict, violence, peacebuilding, governance, or related social and community issues in Nigeria.
Strong knowledge of and professional networks within the assigned state (Ogun, Osun, or Oyo), including familiarity with local communities, institutions, and sources.
Demonstrated experience conducting in-depth interviews and field-based reporting, including engaging community members, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups, government officials, civil society organizations, and other relevant sources.
Ability to investigate and corroborate information from multiple independent sources, assess the credibility of conflicting accounts, and clearly distinguish verified information from information that remains uncertain.
Ability and willingness to travel independently to assigned communities, including undertaking in-person fieldwork across multiple LGAs during the assignment period.
Strong written communication and documentation skills, with the ability to provide clear, detailed, and well-organized reporting in English.
Demonstrated ability to work responsibly on sensitive topics, maintaining confidentiality, exercising sound judgment, and following research ethics and field-safety protocols.
Ability to complete structured reporting instruments and submit accurate, organized work electronically, including using Microsoft Excel and Word.
Availability to complete the assignment and respond promptly to reasonable requests for clarification or correction within the required project timeline.
All documents shall be uploaded as one pdf to the application section indicating CV or Resume by November 13, 2026
