Professional Experience:
I am a senior international governance and development professional with over thirteen years of experience operating at the highest levels of continental and regional institutions, notably the African Union Commission (AUC) and COMESA. My career is marked by sustained engagement with political governance, conflict prevention, democratic transitions, and regional integration, combining strategic policy leadership with hands-on delivery in complex and politically sensitive environments.
Currently serving as a Governance Expert in the Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate at the African Union Commission, I work at the centre of the AU’s political and decision-making ecosystem. Reporting directly to the Director and supporting the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, I monitor political developments in countries undergoing transition, provide timely strategic briefings, and support preventive diplomacy interventions aimed at mitigating political risk and safeguarding the AU’s core democratic norms. I play a substantive role in shaping directorate-wide strategy through planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and policy development.
A key pillar of my current portfolio is my contribution to the Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions (AFSIT), implemented jointly with UNDP. In this role, I analyse governance and democratic trends across Member States, advise on priority interventions, and help steer programming decisions in fragile and transition contexts. I also prepare high-level policy papers, speeches, and briefing notes for senior leadership, coordinate cross-departmental inputs, and represent the Directorate in regional and international engagements. My work includes collaboration with the UN system, World Bank processes, and the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group.
Previously, as Social and Cultural Affairs Officer at COMESA, I supported the Secretary-General and senior management on a broad social development and human capital agenda covering gender equality, youth, health, education, and culture. I played a central role in servicing intergovernmental processes, drafting ministerial and summit-level documentation, and coordinating complex, multi-partner programmes with UN agencies, regional bodies, and national governments. My work strengthened policy coherence across sectors and ensured the effective integration of social priorities into regional integration and economic frameworks.
Earlier roles within the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs further consolidated my governance credentials. As Analyst and Technical Assistant to the Committee of 10 Heads of State for UN Security Council Reform, I contributed to continental policy development on constitutionalism, rule of law, democratic governance, and UN Security Council reform. I supported high-level political bodies, including the Committee of Ten Heads of State on UNSC Reform, authored analytical reports and concept notes for Heads of State Summits, and contributed to successful African candidatures in the international system. I also provided technical support to constitution-building and transitional justice processes in countries such as The Gambia and South Sudan, working closely with international partners.
Complementing my institutional experience, you have worked as a legal consultant, researcher, and academic contributor, supporting national and international initiatives on women’s rights, violence prevention, refugee protection, and human rights reporting. I have supported UN Special Rapporteurs, participated in AU Election Observation Missions, lectured at university level, and published in peer-reviewed outlets.
Across my career, I am recognised for strategic judgement, political acuity, drafting excellence, and the ability to operate with confidence at senior decision-making levels and being a trusted interlocutor for the directorate with solid mastery of governance issues.