About the Centre for Democracy & Development (CDD-West Africa)
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) was established in the United Kingdom in 1997 and subsequently registered in Lagos – Nigeria in 1999 as an independent, not-for-profit, research, training, advocacy and capacity building organisation
The Centre was established to mobilise global opinion and resources for democratic development and provide an independent space to reflect critically on the challenges posed to the democratization and development processes in West Africa, and also to provide alternatives and best practices to the sustenance of democracy and development in the region.CDD envisions a West Africa that is democratically governed, economically integrated – promoting human security and people-centered development. The mission of the centre is to be the prime catalyst and facilitator for strategic analysis and capacity building for sustainable democracy and development in the West African sub-region.
The first activity of the Centre was a round table organized in London in 1997 on the democratic future of Nigeria (then under military dictatorship). CDD’s activities have since grown not only in Nigeria but in the entire West African region and the rest of the continent. The Centre remains focused on capacity building work, policy analysis and advocacy, and as a research reference point on democratic governance, human security and people-centred development in the region. It has remained a critical bridge building institution between policy makers, civil society activists and academics in West Africa.
Our Programmes
CDD programmes are conceptualized to develop the organization’s regional vocation and are centered on the following themes:
Democratic Governance:
- Parliamentary engagement
- Promoting Peace and Human Security in West Africa in concert with regional institutions and civil society
- Elections
- Deepening democratic governance through strengthening political parties and promoting free and fair elections
- Facilitating constitution and legal reforms
- Decentralization and Local Governance
- West African Futures and Horizon Scanning
People-Centred Development:
- Promoting Transparency and Accountability through Budget Monitoring
- SDGs: Advancing people-centred development through raising capacity for SDGs attainment. Supporting, monitoring and promoting local initiatives
- Environment and Climate Change: Enhancing civic participation and legislative oversight on emerging trends in the extractive industry, supporting institutions to reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change on local communities.
- Gender and Economic Rights: Promoting gender and economic rights of women as a cross cutting theme
- Urbanisation and Migration
- Project teams are coordinated by Head of Programmes along thematic areas.