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The 1864 Research & Innovation Institute

Informed public servants.

Better services for those who need them most.

Writing, news, and research on evidence, simple technology, and co-creation inside government institutions in Nigeria and across Africa.

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From the 1864 Institute

EvidenceCo-Creation

Why we chose crime and violence as our first focus area

The evidence gap is large, the problem is specific and solvable, and co-created tools can change daily decisions.

May 2026  ·  Abiola Oyebanjo

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Simple TechCo-Creation

What I have learned about government technology after years inside Nigerian institutions

Simple tech built with frontline workers outperforms complex software built for them. Every time.

May 2026  ·  Abiola Oyebanjo

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EvidenceSimple Tech

Why Nigerian police commanders make patrol decisions without data

The evidence is being collected. It just never travels from the logbook to the commander making decisions.

May 2026  ·  Abiola Oyebanjo

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EvidenceSimple Tech

The gender data gap: why institutions cannot respond to what they cannot see

Simple additions to existing data systems surface disparities that were always there but never visible.

April 2026  ·  Abiola Oyebanjo

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EvidenceCo-Creation

Why I started the 1864 Institute

Good evidence gathers dust when it is not co-created with the people who need to act on it.

April 2026  ·  Abiola Oyebanjo

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From around the field

HRW World Report 2026: Nigeria's security institutions face persistent accountability gaps

Deadly attacks, intercommunal violence, and airstrikes that killed civilians. with minimal transparency or accountability from security forces. Better data systems inside security institutions are part of the answer.

Feb 2026  ·  Human Rights Watch

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Nigeria's crime statistics dramatically underrepresent actual criminal activity

Many crimes never reach police stations due to distance, distrust, or belief that reporting accomplishes nothing. The evidence problem starts with how data is collected. or not collected. at the frontline.

Feb 2026  ·  Guardian Nigeria

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President Tinubu announces review of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act

A signal that gender-based violence data and enforcement gaps are getting policy attention. Better institutional data systems are critical to translating legal frameworks into real protection.

2025  ·  Human Rights Watch

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Only 3.9% of Nigeria's parliamentary seats held by women as of February 2024

UN Women data confirms Nigeria's gender representation gap in government. Addressing it starts with institutions being able to see and measure the gap, which requires better disaggregated data systems.

2024  ·  UN Women Data Hub

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Relevant publications

Organised crime, violent conflicts, and the movement towards a dual policing system in Nigeria

Examines how weak institutional data systems and accountability gaps allow organised crime and conflict to persist in Nigeria, and the implications for policing reform.

2025  ·  Taylor & Francis (African Affairs)

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Gender inequality in the Nigerian civil service: evidence from Abuja

Semi-structured interviews with 27 civil servants identify education deficits, religion, and civil service structures as primary drivers of women's exclusion from the Nigerian public sector.

2025  ·  SAGE Journals

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Gender inequality and women's participation in Nigeria's workforce

Over 87% of Nigerian women work in informal jobs. Structural obstacles embedded in socio-cultural practices and institutional discrimination limit workforce participation and economic productivity.

March 2026  ·  American Journal of Social and Humanitarian Research

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USAID Nigeria Gender Analysis: gender gaps, norms, and opportunities across sectors

Comprehensive analysis of gender inequality across Nigerian institutions. Finds stark North-South disparities and persistent gaps in data availability for gender monitoring across sectors.

Sept 2024  ·  USAID / Banyan Global

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