West Africa Civil Society Institute wacsi.org

About Us&Contact

WACSI opens on Weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00 GMT, from Mondays to Fridays

About WACSI

The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) was established by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in 2005 to reinforce the capacities of civil society in the sub-region. The Institute became operational in July 2007.

WACSI’s mission: WACSI is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of civil society organisations through capacity strengthening programmes for increased and effective policy engagement, and the promotion of development, good governance and democratic values in West Africa.

WACSI's Vision is to to serve as a leading resource and capacity development hub for civil society in West Africa in the pursuit of democracy, good governance and development.

The role of WACSI is to serve as a resource centre for training, research, experience sharing and dialogue for CSOs in West Africa

Regional focus: Having understood the challenges that development practitioners face in the West African sub region, our creative and custom-made interventions continue to respond to operational and institutional challenges of national and regional civil society institutions in Liberia, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. In the near future, the Institute will also focus on invigorating, the capacities of development practitioners in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau.

WACSI is the secretariat for the Africa Security Sector Capacity Building Network for CSOs.

Our Core Values

WACSI’s core values are the driving force of its operational and institutional standards. These values characterize the Institute’s unique approach towards the capacity development of civil society organizations in West Africa. WACSI’s core values are:

LEADERSHIP
WACSI practices what it preaches. We work to empower CSOs with exemplary standards of organizational management and governance, and we uphold these standards in all that we do.

DIVERSITY
WACSI is positioning itself to be the hub for a robust, professional, responsive and visionary civil society community in West Africa; one that is respectful and collegial and reflects the rich socio-cultural diversity of West Africa.

EXCELLENCE
WACSI maintains the highest ethical standards that foster transparency, accountability, mutual respect, and integrity in its operations and relationships with its partners. The Institute strives for excellence in its activities. WACSI believes and upholds “excellence as the minimum standard”

COLLABORATION
WACSI’s wide regional reach and universal partnership model is one of its greatest assets. WACSI continually strives to create an atmosphere of congeniality and cooperation with and for all its stakeholders.

RELATIONSHIP
WACSI recognizes that its greatest assets are its staff, interns, volunteers, resource persons, trainees, donors. The Institute values and fosters partnerships, networks and strategic mutual relationships with all stakeholders.

NON-DISCRIMINATION
WACSI believes in, and respects the principles of equity, inclusion and non-discrimination. The Institute recognizes the rich socio-cultural heritage of its stakeholders and works with all persons without discrimination to promote open, democratic and developed societies in West Africa through the capacity strengthening of civil society.

Prof. John Igue, Board Chair

Prof. John O. IGUE is the new Board Chair of the Institute. He is a citizen of Benin and Professor of Geography at the Former National University of Benin (renamed University of Abomey Calavi) and General Director of West Africa Institute in Cape Verde. He has recently assumed the responsibilities of Scientific Director of Laboratoire d’Analyse Régionale et d’Expertise Sociale (LARES) (1989-2011), Advisor of The Sahelian and West African Club – OECD – Paris. Previously, he was the Benin Minister of Industry and Small scale and Medium Enterprises from 1998-2001 and Dean of Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences of National University of Benin from 1978-1981. He has published extensively and has worked with regional bodies in West Africa.
Ms. Taaka Awori

Ms. Taaka Awori of Liberian Nationality is a Consultant with Social Development and Organisational Development expertise. She has significant experience in working with donor agencies and funding mechanisms for civil society. She worked as Asst. Social Development Adviser of DFID; and undertook consultancies for many institutions such as African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), U. K. Dept. for International Development (DFID); Comic Relief , London, U.K; World Bank Institute (WBI), African Development Bank (AfDB), CARE International, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DANIDA, (Royal Danish Embassy), among others.
Justice Emile Short, Member

Justice Emile Short, Ghanaian, served as a Commissioner for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice between 1993 and 2010. Between 2004 and 2009, he was granted leave of absence from the Commission to take up an appointment as a Judge with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, in Arusha, Tanzania. He has served as the President of the African Ombudsman Centre, and as a Consultant for the UNDP, the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, the Danish Institute of Human Rights, the Carter Center (USA), and Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Sweden.
Professor. Adebayo Olukoshi, Former Board Chair, 2007 - 2012

Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, Nigerian; is the Director of the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) based in Dakar, Senegal. He is a Professor of International Economic Relations, and was the Executive Secretary of CODESRIA for 11 years.
Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, Member

Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim is the Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), a regional research, advocacy and training NGO in West Africa. A political scientist and development expert with over thirty years of active engagement with the civil society, Dr. Ibrahim was a member of the Nigerian Electoral Reform Committee and the Chair of the Global Call for Action against Poverty (GCAP). He is the current Chair of the Executive Committee of the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF).
Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Executive Director

Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Ghanaian; currently serves as the Executive Director of WACSI. Until September 2010, she was the Regional Policy Advisor for IBIS West Africa. She also served as Country Coordinator for OSIWA-Nigeria from January 2006-2008.
Dr. Said Adejumobi, Former Member, 2007 - 2012

Dr. Said Adejumobi, Nigerian; is currently the Chief of Public Administration Section and Coordinator of the Africa Governance Report (AGR) for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is an accomplished researcher, and has edited noteworthy publications on political developments in West Africa. He was a member of WACSI's Board from 2007 - 2012.
Mme. Fatima Mbaye, Former Member, 2007 - 2012

Ms. Fatima Mbaye, Mauritanian is a human rights lawyer, Vice-President of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and President of the Mauritanian Human Rights Association (member of FIDH) awarded the Anti-Slavery Award in 1998. In 1999, Fatima Mbaye became the first African to receive the third Nuremberg International Prize for Human Rights. She was a member of WACSI's Board from 2007 - 2012.
Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, Former Member, 2007 - 2012

Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, Ghanaian; is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of Language, Literature and Drama Section at the Department of African Studies, University of Ghana. She is a distinguished educationist and former Minister of Higher Education in Ghana. She was a member of WACSI's Board from 2007 - 2012.
Mme. Aicha Bah-Diallo, Former Member, 2007 - 2012

Madam Aïcha Bah-Diallo, Guinean, is a champion of girls' and women's education. She is a former Minister of Education in Guinea, a position she held for over seven years. She was adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO on girls' education in Africa until late 2009. Madam Bah-Diallo played a guiding role in the formation of the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE) in 1992, and is the current President. Madam Bah-Diallo is a member of the Mo Ibrahim Prize Committee.

Elo-oma Nnyigide

Elo-oma Nnyigide, Nigerian, serves as a youth service personnel in WACSI. She joined the Institute in October 2012. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in translation, and assists with translation-related tasks of the Institute's documents.
Barbara Mingle

Barbara Mingle, Ghanaian, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Studies from Wisconsin International University College, Ghana in June 2012 . She is currently undertaking her national service with West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), assisting with duties in the Administration and Finance Department of the Institute.
Anthony Saygbah Kolaco

Anthony S. Kolaco is a Liberian and currently serves as an Intern at WACSI. Prior to joining WACSI in January 2013, he served as the Program Officer for Rights and Rice Foundation in Liberia, a position he held since 2012.
Mensah E. Komlan Edem

Mensah Ekué Komlan Edem, Togolese, was the President of the NGO “Enfant du Futur” prior to joining WACSI. He joined WACSI in January 2013 as an intern taking part in the Next Generation Internship program.
Titilope Ajayi-Mamattah

Titilope Ajayi-Mamattah, Nigerian, brings eight years’ research and editing experience to her position as WACSI Research and Documentation Officer. Her recent appointments include research positions at the International Crisis Group in Dakar and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Ghana.
Mohammed Ibrahim

Mohammed Ibrahim is a Ghanaian. He joined WACSI in 2008 and provides janitorial services to the Institute. Before joining WACSI, he worked at the Palestinian Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
Maxwell Apenteng

Maxwell Apenteng is a Ghanaian and joined WACSI in September 2010. He provides gardening and janitorial services at the Institute.
Pearl Atsou-Dzini

Pearl Atsou-Dzini is a Ghanaian. She joined the Institute in August 2011 as an Executive Assistant to assist the Executive Director’s office.
Jimm Chick Fomunjong

Jimm Chick Fomunjong, Cameroonian, is the Communications and Information Assistant of the Institute. He Joined WACSI in January 2012. Jimm has worked as a journalist for local and international media for ten years.
Harrison Owusu

Harrison Boakye Owusu is a Ghanaian. He joined the Institute in October, 2010 as an intern to assist the Research and Documentation unit with the Civil Society Organizations in Ghana e-directory Project’. He is currently the Projects Assistant, Ghana Civil Society E-Directory project at WACSI.
Franck A. SOMBO

Franck A. SOMBO is an Ivorian and currently Programmes Assistant of WACSI. He joined the Institute in July 2011. He assists the different Programme Units of the Institute with the design and the implementation of the programs.
George Adu Mintah

George is a Ghanaian and provides protocol-related administrative support to the Institute. He joined the Institute in October 2006.
Grace Akpene Ziggah

Grace Akpene Ziggah is Togolese by nationality and serves as the Institute's Receptionist/ Bilingual Secretary. She joined the Institute in June 2009 as a professional Bilingual Secretary.
Bethel Kwame Boateng

Bethel is a Ghanaian. He provides technical and IT related support to the Institute. He joined the Institute in October 2006.
Omolara T. Balogun

Omolara Balogun is a Nigerian and currently the Policy Advocacy officer of the Institute. Omolara joined WACSI in September 2008 and is a graduate of the Next Generation Internship Program.
Charles Kojo Vandyck

Charles Kojo Vandyck is a Ghanaian and is the Institute’s Capacity Building Officer. He has served in this position since April 2008.
Kwabena Kroduah

Kwabena Kroduah is a Ghanaian and serves as the Finance Officer at the Institute. Kwabena joined WACSI in January 2008.
Katherine Adarkwa

Katherine is a Ghanaian and joined WACSI in July 2006 with a background in Business Management and Administration. Katherine provides administrative and logistics support to the Institute.
Nana Asantewa Afadzinu

Nana Afadzinu is a Ghanaian and currently the Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She joined WACSI as Executive Director in October 2010.