Nigeria: Roots of Nigeria's election violence

Elections are the battleground for resource control, which raises the stakes and likelihood of clashes. Read more »

Africa: West Africa's Democratic Tipping Point?

ABEOKUTA/MUNICH/FREETOWN/LILONGWE – The decision to postpone Nigeria's presidential election, made just hours before polls were due to open, has raised fears about the… Read more »

Nigeria: #nigeriadecides2019 - OSIWA Update

On the 16th of February, at about 2.30am the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the postponement of Nigeria's General Elections to the 23rd of February for… Read more »

Ghana: My Reflections from a Field Trip to Paga and Communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana

We arrived in Tamale Northern Ghana around 8:00 am. The fifty-minute flight from Accra was smooth despite the foggy weather due to the early morning showers.  We had a… Read more »

Sierra Leone: CrimeSync Wins the Innovating Justice Awards 2019

The annual Innovating Justice Awards 2019 competition has been won by CrimeSync from Sierra Leone. The competition was organized by HiiL to promote justice innovation and… Read more »

Nigeria: Religious Leaders Warn Against Impending Revolt

…Call for Greater Citizen Action to Check Drift Read more »

Nigeria: Elections - NGO Engages 7,400 Religious Leaders As Educators On Proper Electoral Conduct

A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), ReclaimNaija Grassroots Movement is to engage 7,400 religious leaders from all the states of the Federation to teach on civic and voter… Read more »

Africa: Corruption Can Kill – GACC

Madam Beauty Narteh, Executive Secretary of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) said corruption could “kill” because it exacerbated poverty and thwarted development. Read more »

West Africa: Promoting Social Accountability in West Africa

 – In West Africa, there are numerous examples of how citizens and civil society groups hold their government, private sector actors and development partners… Read more »

West Africa: Why the One-Term Limit Does Not Improve Governance

During the 2016 presidential elections in Benin, then candidate and current president Patrice Talon promised that, if elected, he would only serve one term and would also amend the… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Report launch - Challenges Faced by Persons With Albinism in Sierra Leone

Today marks the official launch of the report titled "Harassed, Misunderstood and Forgotten: Challenges faced by Persons with Albinism in Sierra Leone", the first of its kind in… Read more »

West Africa: OSIWA Announces Appointment of New Executive Director

The Open Society Initiative for West Africa is happy to announce the appointment of Ayisha Osori as the new Executive Director of the Foundation. Read more »

West Africa: Building Community Support for Drug Users using Mobile Cinemas

Waves of dialogue in West Africa on drug policy reform with the ultimate goal of decriminalizing drug use and possession for personal use have been making headway. Progress is… Read more »

Liberia: "Jaadeh Is Integrity" Song by Takun J Released Ahead of Anti-Corruption Children's Sequel

Today marks the official release of “Jaadeh Is Integrity”, a song written and produced by Liberia’s premier Hip-Co musician Takun J and featuring vocalist Ella… Read more »

Liberia: 2017 Liberia Elections in Retrospect

In his inaugural address on 22 of January, 2018, the new President of Liberia, Mr. George M. Weah, said that "today, Liberians have reached an important stage on the road to… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Women's Political Advancement As the Engine for Sierra Leone's Development

Keynote address delivered by the OSIWA Board Chair, Ayisha Osori, at the official opening of 50/50's Gender and Women's Leadership Training Institute (January 25, 2018) Read more »

West Africa: The Impact of Unemployment and Pollution On Bauxite Producing Communities in Guinea

Mining communities across Guinea have been plagued by social unrest, especially in the Boke region where protests, often triggered by the lack of running water and electricity, has… Read more »

Guinea: Art Action Academy in Guinea (December) - Call for Application

OSIWA (Open Society Initiative for West Africa), C4AA (The Center for Artistic Activism) and Association Culturelle La Muse invite artists to apply to participate in a 5-day Art… Read more »

Liberia: Liberia's Elections - The Next Test for Democracy

Ravaged by a 14-year-old civil war and the Ebola epidemic, Liberia is presently reeling with election fever. The air is palpable with excitement as young people dance to music… Read more »

West Africa: The October 2017 Elections and the Future of Democracy in Liberia

On June 15, 2017 Pres. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf observed that "The [October 10, 2017] elections will be a defining moment for Liberia." These upcoming elections will be an important… Read more »

West Africa: Developing Monitoring & Evaluation Processes That Foster Learning

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is an instrument that predominates in the development sector to ensure substantive planning, accountability of investments, and as a basis for… Read more »

Guinea: September 28th Massacre - 8th Commemoration, No Trial!

On September 28, Guineans will commemorate the 8thanniversary of the killings and rape that took place during a peaceful rally at the Conakry stadium. These atrocities, declared a… Read more »

West Africa: Osiwa, Osji and the International Development Research Centre Call for Proposal

Call for Research Proposals Read more »

West Africa: How to Make the Latest Investigation Into Military Violations Work

Nigeria's Federal Government recently inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to review compliance of the Nigerian Armed Forces with human rights obligations and rules of… Read more »