Chika Charles Aniekwe, PhD

Experience

• 

  ActionAid Nigeria

  Feb 2004 - Jul 2006

  Programme Officer

  Provided programme support to the Governance and Human Security team including day-to-day direct implementation of projects, project review, monitoring and stakeholder engagement.

• 

  IFES

  Sept 2006 - Sept 2007

  Project Coordinator/Team Leader

  Managed IFES Nigeria Electoral Violence Education and Resolution (EVER) project involving key election stakeholders. Some key result include training of 109 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and 550 monitors across Nigeria, authored all EVER-fortnightly reports and pioneered the formation of the National Alliance for Peaceful Elections in Nigeria (NAPEN).

• 

  Independent Consultant

  Jun 2008 - Apr 2011

  Democracy, Governance, Elections, Programme, Dev. Mgt. and Evaluation

  Provided strategic advise and support to several NGOs in Nigeria, UK and Tanzania including mobilising financial resources, development of training manual and training on election monitoring and reporting.

• 

  University of Bradford

  Jun 2011 - Jul 2012

  Researcher

  Assist module lecturers in facilitating seminars and workshops, provides teaching cover for lecturers, support new students on academic writing, conduct desk research and collaborative projects with NGOs

• 

  African Union

  Aug 2012 - Jul 2015

  Senior Political/Election Officer: African Union Commission

  Served as Senior Political and Elections Officer with the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit (DEAU) of the African Union where I provided substantive expertise on policy and political analysis, electoral process reform support, election observation, and institutional standardization.

• 

  UNDP

  Aug 2015 - Apr 2024

  Leads the UNDP-RBA engagement in the Sahel, including providing strategic programme and policy support to Sahel country offices. Ensure strategic partnership with key actors and stakeholders working in the Sahel. Provides strategic advice to UNDP-RBA leadership on socio-political and economic developments in the Sahel. Manages UNDP-RBA rapid analysis of emerging and evolving developments in the Sahel. leads in the development of new programmatic thinking on the nexus between climate security and stabilization in the Sahel. Ensure high-level engagements between UNDP-RBA and regional institutions in the Sahel Show less Leads the UNDP support to the Lake Chad Basin Programme: Key functions includeLeads UNDP support to the LCBC Regional Strategy for Stabilisation, Recovery and Resilience Management of the LCBC Secretariat Strategy Provide strategic policy advice to the Executive Secretary on the Strategy and Nexus Ensure strategic engagement with national ministries, and Governors OfficesProvides space for horizontal and vertical partnership between LCBC and HDP actors across different levels Ensures strategic partnership and political cooperation with AU, ECOWAS and ECCASEnsure strategic coordination, partnership, and collaboration with Multinational Joint Task Force, Established and manages functional governance and coordination structures and platforms that foster collaboration and partnership for the implementation of the Strategy Leads in identification and commissioning of researches and studies on the LCB region Show less Led UNDP’s support to the established ministry of peace in articulating and developing strategic areas of intervention in line with the mandate of the Ministry.Conceptualised, UNDP-Ethiopia Peacebuilding and Conflict transformation Strategy for engaging and supporting the Ministry of PeaceEnsured UNDP’s rapid assistance to the government with the development of high-level Strategy and roadmap for peacebuilding and reconciliation, conflict prevention and management;Ensured institutionalisation of conflict analysis and the tracking of activities to underpin the provision of top-quality policy advice services to the government and knowledge building in the areas of peacebuilding and reconciliation related issues;Supported the development of strategic partnerships and led resource mobilisation in peace and security related issues. Conceptualised, managed and delivered, soon to be rolled-out National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) for Ethiopia. Show less Facilitated inception partners’ consultations, developed and rolled-out UN Peacebuilding Fund (PFB) funded Lesotho National Dialogue and Stabilisation Project (LNDSP) involving national (LCN, CCL), regional partners (SADC) and UN agencies (UNDP, OHCHR and UN Women)Ensured strategic engagement, inclusive and a whole of society approach in the roll-out of the Project Ensured broader coordination and collaboration with other UN entities, especially UNWomen and OHCHRProvided technical and strategic advice to the Resident Representative on the Dialogues and Reform processes;Ensured project budget alignment with project objectives, overarching outcomes and outputs Show less Led and managed a 6.2 Million Dollar project on Conflict Prevention in the Electoral Cycle in Sierra Leone funded by UN Peacebuilding Fund, DFID and Canada;Strategically positioned UNDP to respond to electoral conflict with national and local stakeholdersEnsured and led an inclusive technical and community participation in the conflict prevention process and structures Provided strategic advice to the Country Director on his engagement with political actors and interlocutors Conceptualised and organised High-Level dialogue amongst all presidential candidates and leaders of contending political parties during the election;Provided strategic advice to electoral institutions in Sierra Leone such as the Office of National Security, Sierra Leone Police, Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), Legal Aid Board, Sierra Leone Judiciary, National Commission for Democracy and the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone;Actively developed, shared, and disseminated knowledge (including best international electoral practices and lessons learned). Show less Lead UNDP support to Political Parties and Electoral Commission of Ghana in the 2016 elections ;Provides strategic support to the Commission and technical advice to select political parties on the electoral process and political accountabilityProvided institutional capacity building to political parties to promote improved communications, gender mainstreaming, youth participation and internal democracy; Provides policy and strategic advice to the Political Party Coordination Framework in Ghana;I conceptualised and managed UNDP Consultative Policy Dialogues Series in collaboration with several ministries and departments of the Government of Ghana. Developed the UNDP Ghana resource mobilisation and partnership management strategy; Show less

  • UNDP-RBA Sahel Team Lead (OiC)

    Oct 2023 - Apr 2024

  • Senior Advisor & Head of UNDP Support to Lake Chad Basin Commission

    May 2019 - Oct 2023

  • Senior Peace and Reconciliation Advisor

    Nov 2018 - May 2019

  • Senior Technical Advisor

    Apr 2018 - Oct 2018

  • Chief Technical Specialist

    Sept 2017 - Apr 2018

  • Project Manager

    Aug 2015 - Sept 2017