Who we are

Skylark Centre for Climate Security envisions an Africa where climate resilience and peace are inseparable foundations of human security. 

The Skylark Centre for Climate Security is an African-led hub dedicated to understanding and addressing the deepening links between climate change, peace, and human security across West Africa. Embedded within Surge Africa Organisation, Skylark combines rigorous research, trusted policy dialogue, narrative innovation, and capacity-building to ensure that climate–security becomes a core pillar of governance from the local to the global level.

We were created to fill a critical gap: despite rising climate pressures and escalating instability in regions such as the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Coastal West Africa, there is no dedicated African institution systematically generating climate–security intelligence, convening multi-level actors, and shaping public narratives. Skylark exists to change that.

What we do

Skylark’s work is organized around four strategic pillars that together form a coherent ecosystem

  • Policy & Research Analysis We produce rigorous, locally grounded research that illuminates climate–security risks and provides practical tools for policymakers, regional bodies, and global institutions.

  • Dialogues & Convening We create trusted platforms that connect evidence with decision-making — from national ministries to ECOWAS, the African Union, and global forums such as COP and the UN Security Council.

  • Narrative & Public Engagement We humanize climate–security through storytelling, media partnerships, and public campaigns that amplify African voices, especially women and youth.

  • Capacity-Building Programs We equip African professionals and institutions with the skills and networks needed to integrate climate–security into governance and practice.

Grounded in West Africa, Skylark works across:

  • The Central Sahel (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso)

  • The Lake Chad Basin (Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon)

  • Coastal West Africa (Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Togo)

Surge Africa advances innovative climate adaptation through policy advocacy, impact media, and resilience building. We work to protect people and the planet by promoting inclusive, equitable pathways todevelopment. Since 2017, Surge Africa has broadened its work to strengthen landscape governance, influence climate policy, and support adaptation efforts across Africa.

Skylark Centre for Climate Security is a project of Surge Africa

Our Team

Nasreen Al-Amin

Founder of Surge Africa

Nasreen has led Surge Africa as its Director since 2017, and has overseen the expansion of its operations across numerous regions. She is a creative thinker and an ardent movement builder. She is interested in global geopolitics, and has a deep passion for art and culture. 

Surge Africa's Climate Security Lead - Director of the Skylark Center

Gabriel Lagrange

Gabriel joined Surge Africa in October 2025, and acts as Surge Africa’s Climate Security Lead and Skylark Center’s Director. Based in Geneva, he will manage the daily activity of the Center.

You can contact him on Linkedin or by mail: gabriel@surgeafrica.org