Civil Society in the shadows of Nigeria’s Core Conflicts The Political Economy of the Boko Haram Insurgency – Dr Freedom. C. ONUOHA Introduction I have read the paper with great pleasure. The central objective of the paper is to interrogate the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in peacebuilding and conflict management in the Boko Haram insurgency-affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. As outlined in paper, the study was guided by the following specific objectives,(a) examine the role of CSOs in peacebuilding and conflict management in the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria;(b) explore the contributions of CSOs and their growing involvement in peace and security over time, and(c) provide suggestions for the engagement of CSOs in the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Key Strength and Contributions of The Paper One of the major strengths of the paper is that it re-echoed the roles CSOs have continued to play in political development, peacebuilding, and conflict management the world over. The study conceptualised civil society and CSOs, identifying the various typologies of CSOs. The paper identified some of the areas the roles of CSOs have been very visible to include the struggle for democratisation in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. As with the case in Nigeria where civil society played a leading role in the struggle for civil rights and democratisation, notwithstanding the pervasive state repression by military dictators. Secondly, the paper observes that the role of CSOs has Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria| 171