As part of initiatives under the Strengthening Women in Mining (SWIM) project, which focusses on legal empowerment to enhance community actions against injustice, the Research and Advocacy Hub of We the People in Cross River state organised a 2-day capacity-building workshop. This event brought together 25 women from 5 mining-host communities, centred around the theme “Know the Law: Legal & Policy Advocacy, Effective Communication, Leadership and Knowledge of the Law.” The workshop aimed to to bridge the knowledge gap of mining-host community women, with regards to laws that protect their interests as communities in the context of mining activities.
The two-day workshop which held at the Nnimmo Bassey Conference Hall of We the People took place on the 17th and 18th of September, 2025. The first day of the workshop centred on themes including policy-making through gender lens and women at the negotiation table. The first session was facilitated by gender rights expert Mrs. Ndodeye Bassey-Obongha. The second session which focused on unnderstanding rights as mining-host communities, and accessing justice through community-based legal & policy advocacy approaches, was led by Mr. James Ibor Esq.
In her presentation, Mrs. Ndodeye discussed negotiation strategies for promoting gender inclusion at the community level, stating that developing negotiation skills through trainings and mentorships, engaging with decision-makers through community meetings and forming alliances, and organising women’s groups are critical in ensuring that women are recognised in their communities and have the confidence to articulate demands when necessary.
Mr. James Ibor esq., the Executive Director of Basic Rights Council Initiative (BRCI), interacted with the women regarding methods to access justice via community-focused advocacy strategies. He emphasised the necessity of documented agreements between mining companies and communities, noting that this document, often called the Community Development Agreement (CDA), should prioritise community interests and safeguard communities from the environmental and socio-economic impacts of mining.
We the People’s project Officer Mr. Austin Vicker esq. provided basic explanation of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, the Cross River Forestry Law, 2010, the Land Use Act, 1978 as well as other laws and policies relevant to mining in Nigerian communities. He stressed the use of petitions and Freedom of Information requests, by community women to demand information and drive inclusion.
We the People’s Project Officer on Mining and Forestry, Mr. Nsikak Udofot introduced the group to legal empowerment, emphasizing knowing the law, using the law and shaping the law. According to him, for a community to be truly empowered, it must be able to identify the injustice and organize to seek justice. He added that one of the objectives of the project is to have community-based paralegals who will defend their communities against injustice in the context of mining activities.
Participant at the workshop were drawn from 5 mining-host communities; Abiati, Akwa Ikot Effanga, Akansoko, Mbobui and Mfamosin, all in Cross River state. The training was supported by the Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) and Grassroots Justice Network (GJN).
