Credo Advisory attended a four-day capacity-building workshop on Social Media Analysis for Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, organised by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) Programme.
The workshop brought together practitioners working at the intersection of communications, research, and peacebuilding, with a shared focus on how social media can be responsibly harnessed to prevent rather than escalate conflict. Sessions were immersive, combining hands-on exercises, facilitated discussions, and applied learning using tools built specifically for peacebuilding contexts.
Participants explored how narratives form and spread across social media platforms, how to identify the actors amplifying them, and how to assess whether those narratives are pushing communities toward tension or away from it. A key highlight was working with a specialised monitoring tool that allows peacebuilders to conduct ethical social media analysis, map influential actors, classify narratives, and integrate AI models trained in local languages. This is an essential capability in contexts where standard keyword searches can miss the kind of nuance that determines whether a warning sign is caught early or a crisis goes unseen.
One of the defining insights from the workshop captured the spirit of the entire programme: “If certain actors can use social media to nurture polarisation, we can use it to nurture safe spaces and reduce polarisation.”
The sessions were facilitated by Megan Grazier and Allan Cheboi, whose expertise and openness to participants’ questions kept the learning both rigorous and accessible.
Lesi Nwisagbo, Credo’s Communications Specialist, reflected: “Social media analysis for peacebuilding goes far beyond social listening. It’s about understanding how narratives form, who is amplifying them, and whether they’re pushing a community toward tension or away from it. I left equipped with a sharper skillset and a much deeper sense of responsibility.”
As the strategic communications partner to the SPRiNG Programme, Credo Advisory continues to support initiatives that build the capacity of practitioners working toward a more peaceful and resilient Nigeria.
