Jaye Gaskia is a Development sector professional with over two and a half decades of experience working with National and International Development agencies at the highest levels. He was the first Global Conflict Advisor with ActionAid International, working in the International Emergencies and Conflict Team, technically supporting 45 Country Programs. He was the First Conflict Advisor with ActionAid Nigeria, and subsequently Regional Human Security Advisor West Africa for ActionAid International supporting country programs Across Africa.

He has also been Deputy Country Director/Campaign Manager and later Interim Country Director at Oxfam GB in Nigeria, as well as Head of Programs with Voluntary Services Overseas [VSO] in Nigeria. Prior to working with International Development agencies, he had been Program Officer Community Outreach and later Program Manager Democracy Outreach with Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria [ERA/FoEN].

Jaye Gaskia continues to be active in the development space as a national leader in civil society. He is member of Board of Trustees [BOTs], or chairs Bots of several civil society organisations in Nigeria. He is also Chair and or Convener of several Civil Society Networks and or coalitions, including Partnership Against Violent Extremism in Nigeria [PAVE Network[, where he is National Convener; Campaign For Transformative Governance in Nigeria – a coalition involving trade unions, informal sector unions and civil society organisations – where is Convener; National Peace and Security Forum – a multistakeholder platform including state and non-state actors – where he was Co-Chair; Civil Society Consultative Forum on Peace and Security, where he was Chair; and Technical Working Group on Civilian Harm Mitigation – a platform including state and non-state actors, where he is Associate Chair.

He is also currently member of the PCVE Policy Framework and National Action Plan, National Implementation Steering Committee, leading civil society representation.

Throughout his adult life, Jaye has been an activist and social crusader for social justice, human rights protection, and social transformation, becoming a leader in civil society and in the mass social movements of the citizens.

His professional expertise and competences are in Governance and democratization processes, conflict transformation and peace building, Peace and Security, protection, human security and food security, citizens’ empowerment, advocacy and campaigning, organizing and mobilizing for change, policy analysis and development planning among others. 

He is a Humanist, Marxist, Organic Intellectual, Peoples’ Scholar, public affairs commentator, and policy and political analyst, and frequently writes on national and professional issues. 

Jaye Gaskia is active as member and in the leadership of social movements in Nigeria. An organic intellectual and peoples’ scholar, he is active in generating and disseminating knowledge about civil society organising, and social movement processes, as well as on their issues of concern.

He was leader and Co-Founder of the Port Harcourt School [mid 90s to 2010], a semi-formal organic intellectual Think-Tank of the Movement, for the struggle.

He recently participated in, has concluded, and is now an Alumni of the Global Labour Leadership Initiative [GLLI] Program of the Solidarity Center and Workers studies institute of Cornel University, US. He was a member of the inaugural Cohort [2022 to 2023].

He is Co-Convener, and head of the secretariat of the Campaign For Transformative Governance [CFTG], a joint Labour Civil Society initiative, supported by Solidarity Center.

He was the National Convener of the United Action for Democracy [UAD] – a coalition of citizens’ organizations established since 1997 to fight for democracy and the full democratization of the society and polity – between 2011 and 2013. Prior to this, he had been one of the founders of the UAD, becoming its South South Coordinator in the early years, and subsequently its Deputy National Convener [DNC] between 2003 and 2005.

He played a very active and leadership role in the anti-military and pro-democracy struggles during the repressive military dictatorship. He was Chair of Rivers Coalition and was also a founding member of Campaign for Democracy [CD], and rose to become one of the leaders nationally. 

In his role as Chair of Rivers coalition he played a leading role in coordinating CD activities, and subsequently UAD activities in the South – South and South East of the country. He was a very active member of Women In Nigeria and became one of its leaders as well.

He was active player in the Resource Control struggles of the Niger Delta peoples, playing significant leadership role as organizer, mobiliser and ideologue. In this context he helped found the Chikoko Movement – The Pan Niger Delta Resistance Movement, and became one of its leaders and ideologues, helping to write the Manifesto of The Chikoko Movement. 

He played similar roles in the founding of the Ijaw Youth Council and the preparation and proclamation of the Kiaima declaration of the Ijaw Youths.

He was equally active in the post Ken Saro Wiwa struggles of the Ogoni people and MOSOP, and helped to coordinate and organize the struggles of the different peoples of the Niger Delta during this period.

His activism in the national development and democratization struggles also encompassed the struggle for women emancipation and self-determination struggles of ethnic nationalities.

In addition to the role he played in the struggles of the peoples of the Niger Delta for Resource Control and Self Determination, he was also very active in the self-determination struggles elsewhere in Nigeria including in the south west, middle belt and south east. He helped to found both the Pan Nigeria Coalition for Self Determination [COSED], and the South West focused, Coalition of Odua Self-determination Groups [COSEG].

In this role he led the delegation of the Niger Delta self-determination groups to the convention of Odua Peoples Congress which he presided over; a convention that produced the Gani Adams Leadership of the OPC.

He is also one of the founders and ideologues of the Marxist oriented Yoruba Revolutionary Movement [YOREM]. 

He was a leader, organizer, campaigner and ideologue of the June Twelve struggle as well as of the Occupy Nigeria struggle/January Uprising of 2012.

He is National Coordinator of Protest To Power Movement [P2PM]; and Coordinating Director at Praxis Centre [a Civil society Research Think Tank], as well as Lead Consultant at ThinkAct Consults.

He is presently Chair of the National Steering Committee of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism, a Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism Network of CSOs in Nigeria. Additionally, he Chairs the Civil Society Consultative Forum on Peace and Security, as well as Co-Chairing the Multi-Stakeholder Peace and Security Forum.

He continues to be very active in the leadership of civil society, chairing or co-chairing strategic networks and campaigns. He remains a leading voice in Civil Society in Nigeria and was named the Chidi Opara Reports 2013 Person of the year. He is on the Boards of Trustees and Advisory Boards of several CSOs/NGOs in Nigeria.

He played a leading role in the Occupy Nigeria Movement of January 2012, and was a key member of the joint Labour-Civil Society leadership and delegation that interacted with the Government towards a resolution of the crisis. He was one of the 24 Civil Society Delegates to the National Conference of the people of Nigeria, 2014.

At the 2014 National Conference he coordinated the Civil Society Delegation Secretariat, and together with the General Secretaries of the TUC and NLC, jointly coordinated the secretariat of the Joint Labour-Civil Society Delegation to the conference.

Educationally, Jaye holds a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from University Of Ilorin, Kwara State; class of 1988. He acquired his basic education from Bishop Smith Primary School, Ilorin, Kwara State before proceeding to Titcombe College, Egbe, Kogi State to commence his secondary school education. Due to family relocation, he returned to Mt. Carmel College, Ilorin in Kwara State to complete his WASC/O’level in 1983.

Jaye is married   to Lydia Omoisiuwa, nee Osaghae and their marriage is blessed with an adorable daughter, Ayomide Oluwa