Kayode Fayemi

Kayode Fayemi, (born February 9, 1965) is a native of Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government of Ekiti State, Nigeria. He attended Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti and received degrees in History, Politics and International Relations from the Universities of Lagos and Ife in Nigeria and his Doctorate in War Studies from the prestigious King’s College, University of London, England, specializing in civil-military relations. His research and policy interests include: Democratisation, Constitutionalism, Security Sector Governance, and Regionalism in the Global Context.

Academic and political initiatives

Kayode Fayemi is the immediate past Director of the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. Prior to his establishment of the Centre, he worked as a lecturer, journalist, researcher and Strategy Development adviser in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He was Strategy Development Adviser at London’s City Challenge; research fellow at the African Research & Information Bureau in London, UK, reporter with the newspapers, The Guardian and City Tempo, editor of the political monthly, Nigeria-Now, management consultant at Development and Management Consultants and lecturer at the Police College in Sokoto, Nigeria. As a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile, he was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile.

Amongst his numerous academic and public policy engagements at home and abroad, Kayode Fayemi has lectured in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. He has also served as an adviser on transitional justice, regional integration, constitutionalism, security sector reform and civil-military relations issues to various governments, inter-governmental institutions and development agencies. He was the main technical adviser to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel), which investigated past abuses and currently serves on the Presidential Implementation Committees on Security Sector Reform, NEPAD and the Millennium Development Goals. He was technical expert to ECOWAS on small arms and light weapons and United Nations Economic Commission of Africa on governance issues. He is also a member, Africa Policy Advisory Panel of the British Government. At other times he has served as a consultant to the OECD on Security Sector Reform and chaired the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative’s Committee of Experts on developing guiding principles and mechanisms of constitution making in Commonwealth Africa.

Kayode Fayemi is a Fellow of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan, Adjunct Professor of Security Studies at the African Centre for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., USA. He was also a Visiting Professor in the African Studies Programme at Northwestern University, Evanston, USA in 2004. Dr Fayemi serves on numerous Boards including the Governing Board of the Open Society Justice Institute, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, African Security Sector Network, and on the Advisory Board of the Global Facilitation Network on Security Sector Reform and on the Management Culture Board of the ECOWAS Secretariat. He has written extensively on governance and democratisation, civil-military relations and security sector issues in Africa. Among his recent books are: Mercenaries: The African Security Dilemma - edited with Abdel-Fatau Musah (Pluto Press, 2000); Deepening the Culture of Constitutionalism: The Role of Regional Institutions in Constitutional Development in Africa (CDD, 2003), Security Sector Governance in Africa: A Handbook (edited with Nicole Ball, CDD, 2004) and Out of the Shadows: Exile and the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Nigeria (CDD, 2005).

Education

• 1993 Doctor of Philosophy in War Studies, King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom, Thesis Title: Threats, Military Expenditure and National Security: Trends in Post Civil-War Defence Planning in Nigeria, 1970 – 1990.

• 1987 Master of Science in International Relations, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, (Now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria

• 1985 Bachelor of Arts (Honours), History, University of Lagos, Nigeria

• 1982 Higher School Certificate, Federal School of Arts & Science, Ondo, Nigeria

• 1980 West African School Certificate; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

Professional History

• (1997-2006) Director, Centre for Democracy & Development

• (1995-1997) Secretary General, Media Empowerment for Africa (The Radio Foundation)

• (1993-1995) Strategy Development Adviser, Deptford City Challenge, London, UK

• (1991-1993) Research Officer, African Research and Information Bureau, London, UK.

• (1992-1992) Tutorial Fellow, War Studies Department, King's College, London, UK

• (1987-1989) Research Officer, Development & Management Consultants, Ikeja. Lagos-Nigeria.

• (1985-1986) Lecturer, Nigeria-Police Training College, Sokoto – Nigeria

External links

• A MANIFESTO FOR EKITI TRANSFORMATION BY KAYODE FAYEMI
• Security Challenges By Kayode Fayemi