Bio

Dr. Deborah Odu Obor is a sociologist, peacebuilding practitioner, and researcher with over a decade of experience in conflict transformation and security studies. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from Makerere University, Uganda (Rotary Peace Centre). She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Nigeria’s premier think tank on peace and security, where she conducts policy-relevant research and provides advisory support to the Nigerian government and regional stakeholders on non-violent approaches to conflict resolution and transformation. Previously, Dr. Obor served as a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Sociology at Bowen University, where she taught, supervised, mentored students and contributed to curriculum development. In 2024-2025, she led the Nigeria–Benin Border Communities Peace and Security Initiative at Search for Common Ground and the Sahel Conflict Economy project with the University of Greenwich’s Natural Resources Institute. Her research focuses on transnational governance, conflict economies, and fragile borderlands in West Africa and the Sahel. She bridges academic scholarship with practical peacebuilding, producing evidence-based policy recommendations for sustainable peace in conflict-affected African regions.