The project titled “Strengthening Social Cohesion in Lagos State” has been developed in
response to the emergence of violence and the influence of identity politics, particularly in
Lagos, against the backdrop of the 2023 elections. The intervention is aimed at addressing the
problems of hegemony and is being piloted in Lagos.
As part of the project’s implementation, the project team recently conducted an advocacy visit
to engage with stakeholders in Lagos State. The objective of the visit was to inform the
stakeholders about the project and secure their buy-in and commitment towards further
engagements on the project.
The stakeholders mobilized for the visit included representatives of the three ethnic groups in
Lagos, government institutions, politically elected leaders, political parties, the business
community, CSOs, and representatives of the religious community. While the impact of the visit
is yet to be assessed, the success of the visit was evident in the mining of data through
interviews that provided valuable insights and improved the context analysis.
However, the most prominent challenge encountered during the visit was the loss of faith in
the Nigerian system, as well as a reluctance to speak on camera.
