Overview

The General Leo Irabor Early Warning SystemsCentre (GLIC) is a strategic initiative of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA)that is designed to provide timely information, analysis of imminent threats facing Nigeria. Early Warning Systems (EWS) play a crucial role in crisis prevention, offering data collection, verification, and risk analysis to identify trends, patterns, and dynamics of conflicts or crises.

The Centre operates within the framework of the NIIA serving as a vital mechanism for detecting, preventing, and mitigating conflicts and socio-political instabilities. The centre is dedicated to providing continuous data gathering and assessment of potential risks to Nigeria, West Africa, Africa, and the broader global community.The centre supports the Federal Government of Nigeria by providing timely information, analysis, and response options to imminent threats against the Nigerian state and its valuable resources. Data collection, verification, and risk analysis form the core of early warning efforts, aiming to identify conflict or crisis trends and ensure preparedness.

Objectives

The primary objective of theGeneral Leo Irabor Early Warning Centre is to improve Nigeria’s capacity to anticipate and mitigate risk and disaster confronting the country.

Specifically, the Centre will:

·         Identify, monitor and provide early warnings for security, governance, environmental, and public health emergency risks.

·         provide timely and accurate information to government and other stakeholders of likely threats and hazards from West African and Africa.

·         foster collaboration with stakeholders including the military, police, security agencies, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, academia, civil society organisations and the media as target audiences to share reliable data.

The vision extends to identifying and analyzing threats and crises, including but not limited to humanitarian, economic, and other impending disasters or disruptive tendencies. This prepares the Nigerian government and the international community for risks and informs decision-making, encouraging timely responses to prevent the outbreak or escalation of violence. The initiative serves as both a municipal and global monitoring mechanism, enabling communities and multiple levels of government to seek safety or prevent the eruption of violence or instability.

Thematic and Regional Focus

The Centre’s thematic focus for data collection and analysis are on four major themes:

1. International Public Health – Monitoring pandemics, disease outbreaks, and global health risks.
2. Governanceand Elections – Assessing democratic processes and governance stability.
3. National and International Security – Evaluating military conflicts, terrorism, and geopolitical threats.
4. Climate Change and Environmental Security – Analyzing the impact of environmental issues on national and regional stability.

For regional focus, the centre operates on a concentric model of analysis, focusing on Nigeria first, followed by West Africa, Africa, and then global threat indicators. This structure allows for a comprehensive evaluation of socio-political risks and ensures that appropriate preventive measures are taken.

The General Leo Irabor Early Warning Centre stands as a beacon of preparedness, providing critical insights and facilitating proactive measures to safeguard Nigeria and contribute to global stability by offering a proactive and systematic approach to conflict prevention, the General Leo Irabor Early Warning Centre is a cornerstone of Nigeria’s security and stability strategy, ensuring that risks are detected early and mitigated effectively.