Dr Garuba Dauda has been appointed the new Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa).
A statement by the Abuja-based non-profit organisation that promotes the values of democracy, peace and human rights in Africa, particularly in the West African region, said Dauda brings the right professional expertise and leadership to his new role.
With “over two decades of experience in democratic governance, natural resource management, development policy research and advocacy,” the statement said he was also “assessed to be comfortable in critical issues such as transparency, social accountability, conflict prevention, peacebuilding and security sector reform.”
Dauda holds a BA in History from the University of Ilorin, and a master’s and PhD in Political Science, with specialisation in International Relations, both from the University of Benin, Nigeria.
Dauda, who has scholarly work in local and international research outlets, is no stranger to CDD, having worked as a Programmes Officer from 2003 to 2005, and subsequently as a Senior Programmes Officer until 2008.
He also served at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) from 2008 to 2017, coordinating programmes, and as a technical adviser and senior consultant at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) from 2017 to 2021, before engaging in independent research and consultancy with development-focused organisations.
Dauda succeeds Idayat Hassan who was CDD’s substantive director until last year.
The Centre thanked Dr Sa’eed Husaini, who served as acting director during the transition period.
Established in the United Kingdom in 1997 and subsequently registered in Nigeria in 1999, the CDD mobilises global opinion and resources for democratic development and provides a space for critical reflection on the challenges posed to the democratisation and development processes in West Africa. It also provides alternatives and best practices for sustaining democracy and development in the region.
