Centre for Gender, Conflict and Development Studies (CGCDS) University of Port Harcourt came into being following the de-emerging of former Centre for Conflict and Gender Studies (CCGS) by the university authority in March, 2021. The authority’s reason for de-emerging of the Centre is that study areas should be able to be visible as to attract international and national supports. It may interest you to note that this Centre has passed through several technical tinkering; first was the merging of former Centres for Ethnic conflict (CENTECs) headed by Professor Mark O. Anikpo and Patience Jonathan Centre for Gender and Women Development Studies (PJCGDWS) (2013) also headed by Professor Elizabeth Okeke and the merger gave birth to Centre for Conflict and Gender Studies in 2015, and this was headed by Professor Fidelis Allen. In 2021, Centre for Conflict and Gender Studies was further demerged and its name became Centre for Gender, Conflict and Development; and Professor Heoma Nsirim-Worlu, became its pioneer Director. The reason giving for the merging and de-merging which this Centre had passed through is just for repositioning it to meet the perceived vision of the Unique University in the comity of universities. This Centre is a creation of the Senate of University of Port Harcourt.
The core mandate of this Centre revolves around research, teaching and community service, which is stemmed on research thereby providing evidence without creating ambiguity in the minds of such organisations as to what the Centre stands for.
This Centre is wired to make relevant contributions in the area of gender, conflict and development through research, teaching and community service by addressing challenges that arise in our society due to power relations between the gender which is a major obstacle to development and an anathema to the improvement in the social status of women in the nation’s development studies. It will further provide ways and means (way forward) for the elimination of practices that hinder and prevent the two main groups that make up gender from existing harmoniously, thereby enthroning gender equity and inclusiveness.