‘In conversation with’ ALC Leading Practitioners

The African Leadership Centre (ALC), through its Practice of Leadership initiative is bridging the gap between theory and practice by bringing together senior Leading Practitioners from the fields of peace, security and development.

The central objective of the initiative is to critically engage the leadership dimensions of peacebuilding in Africa and the implications these facilitate or hinder in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts.

During this event, we will be in conversation with two of the ALC Practitioners:

• General Martin Agwai will speak about his work as the Force Commander of the African Union Mission (AMIS) and the Joint Force Commander in the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
• Dr Fatima Akilu will speak about her innovative work on building and delivering community-based combined mental health and peacebuilding interventions in North Eastern Nigeria.

This event is in-person only. Please note this event is for King's staff and students only

 

Speakers

Dr Fatima Akilu

Dr Fatima Akilu was appointed as Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the African Leadership Centre in 2020. She is a leading practitioner on the Centre's Practice of Leadership programme.

Fatima is the Executive Director of Neem Foundation, Nigeria. She is also a university educator and an advocate for marginalised groups and has worked in the area of psychology and health for more than two decades.

She has had extensive experience working with forensic dually diagnosed mentally retarded women, violent offenders and sex offenders. Prior to this, she was head of communication for the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals. She was also Chairman of the Editorial Board Leadership Newspapers.

Until recently, Fatima was the Director of the Behavioral Analysis and Strategic Communication unit at the Office of the National Security Advisor, which has developed a multi-pronged approach to countering violent extremism (CVE). This consists of prison de-radicalisation, counter radicalisation geared at building community resilience, and a strategic communication effort, including public diplomacy and messaging. Nigeria’s CVE programme, which she designed, also includes policy changes in the areas of education and mental health through the provision of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counselling.

Fatima is also a children’s writer and hosted a weekly radio show, Radio Psych, which discusses social and psychological issues. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s in Research Methods in Psychology and a PhD in Psychology from Reading University in Berkshire. She has authored more than 17 children’s books and has published articles on homelessness and mental health.

General Martin Agwai

General Martin Agwai was appointed Visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre in 2015. He is a leading practitioner on the Centre's Practice of Leadership programme.

General Agwai served as a career military officer in the Nigerian Armed Forces. He enlisted into the Nigerian Army (NA) after a brief period of employment with the North Central State (Nigeria) Ministry of Land, Surveys and Country Planning, Survey Division. He gained his commission from Nigerian Defence Academy and rose through the ranks as an officer of the NA and in 2006, he was promoted to the rank of Four Star General.

During his military service, he held a diplomatic appointment as the Nigerian Defence Adviser covering the Southern Africa sub-region. In 2000, he was appointed Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

General Agwai has also held the position of Deputy Military Adviser to the UN at the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DKPO) in New York. He was appointed Force Commander of the African Union Mission (AMIS) and the Joint Force Commander in the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

Since leaving active military service, General Agwai has been participating actively in speaking engagements, workshops, conferences and mentorship programmes.