Nigerian novelist and poet Richard Ali, Executive Director of Engaging Borders SRD, a pan-African peacebuilding organisation established in 2022, has launched the Delimi RISE Project in Kaduna State, with support from the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Over the years, Engaging Borders SRD has implemented youth-centred initiatives in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya, and northern Nigeria, focusing on non-kinetic approaches to conflict prevention and counter-narratives.
The Delimi RISE Project aims to strengthen “the meaningful participation, leadership, and influence of young women and men in peacebuilding” across Igabi, Jema’a, and Kaura Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.
Targeting 80 young people aged 18 to 35, the project will begin with a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)-style workshop, followed by an integrated programme of youth leadership development, community engagement through digital and physical platforms, community intelligence, evidence-informed messaging, and institutional collaboration.
Through these interventions, the project seeks to strengthen inclusive peace infrastructure and support locally led solutions to conflict and social exclusion in the run-up to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
A lawyer and co-founder of Parresia, a publishing house, and Konya Shamsrumi, which houses one of the largest collections of Black and African poetry, Richard Ali’s work across literature, publishing, and peacebuilding reflects a range of interests in how young people engage with ideas, culture, and public life.
