Integrity, Trust, Inclusion, Humility, Accountable collaboration, Courage of Conviction, Innovation
The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) is a women-led, non-governmental organization dedicated to enhancing citizens’ participation and improving security governance in Nigeria and West Africa broadly, achieved through its Rule of Law, Citizens Security and CSO Strengthening program areas. Its senior management team is comprised of highly experienced professional women, as well as two-thirds of its board. PWAN has established a strategic and adaptive management structure with an emphasis on field presence, accountability, and cost efficiency which builds on extensive consortium and effective program delivery experience in West Africa.
PWAN has operated in Nigeria since 2016 and currently employs 36 staff, including lawyers and 62 citizen observers. The head office is based in Abuja with two sub-offices in Kano and Borno states. The organization maintains a robust pool of 30 consultants and facilitators with expertise across various sectors including justice and security sector reform, gender mainstreaming, peacebuilding and conflict resolution, developing creative ways to prevent/counter violent extremism and research. Its Citizens Security program area also works to ensure inclusive and transparent governance as the underpinning of a democratic and prosperous society by facilitating critical dialogue platforms for security sector stakeholders, strengthening the capacity of women to participate in democratic processes, and ensuring credible elections through capacity building for state and non-state actors. Through its Rule of Law program area, the team works to ensure that Nigerian criminal justice sector institutions are strengthened through the implementation of activities that encourage transparency and accountability. This is achieved through strategic engagements with the criminal justice sector actors, collaborative advocacy, capacity building and encouraging synergy through interagency coordination mechanisms. As part of its CSO Strengthening component, the organisation focuses on building resiliency in the ‘diminishing’ civic space, and self-regulation. PWAN has strategically engaged CSO leadership across six geo-political zones to facilitate pivotal dialogues resulting in agreed capacity-building / organizational strengthening initiatives.