Governor Mutfwang Appoints Prof. Chris Kwaja as Special Envoy on Peace and Security
Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has appointed Professor Chris Kwaja as his Special Envoy on Peace and Security, in a strategic move to strengthen the state’s peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts. The appointment, announced in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau, is aimed at reinforcing Plateau’s peace and security infrastructure.
Professor Kwaja, a respected scholar and conflict resolution expert, is expected to engage with a broad range of stakeholders to design sustainable mechanisms for peace and security across the state. His wealth of experience in research, policy formulation, and peacebuilding positions him as a valuable asset in addressing the state’s complex security challenges.
PRNigeria reports that until his recent elevation to Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Kwaja served as the Country Director for Nigeria at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). He has also held teaching and research roles at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University, and formerly at the Centre for Conflict Management and Peace Studies, University of Jos.
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Dr. Kwaja’s public service in Plateau State is notable, having served between 2011 and 2015 as Director General for Research and Planning, and later as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He has also contributed to national and international policy through advisory roles with the UN, World Bank, USAID, and other institutions.
A multi-award-winning scholar, Prof. Kwaja has led groundbreaking research on farmer-herder relations in Nigeria and played a leading role in developing the Forum on Farmer and Herder Relations in Nigeria (FFARN). His research has informed key government strategies, including the National Livestock Transformation Plan and counter-violent extremism frameworks for Northern Nigeria.
In advancing gender and security priorities, he contributed to the development of State Action Plans for Plateau, Adamawa, and Gombe States under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. He also served on Nigeria’s Medium-Term National Development Plan working group for Defence, Peace, and Security.
Internationally, Prof. Kwaja was the African Representative and Chairperson-Rapporteur of the United Nations Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries (2018–2024). With over 100 academic and policy publications to his name, his appointment as Special Envoy underscores Governor Mutfwang’s resolve to tap global expertise for local peace and development.
By PRNigeria
