Abdul Hafiz Wando is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Pan-African frontiers project at SOAS, University of London. His research theme is Regional Security in Africa. He is conducting research into the utility of Pan-Africanism as a policy tool in relation to regional responses to Boko Haram and other violent groups in the Lake Chad Basin region of West-Central Africa. This will specifically involve researching the interrelations of prominent regional structures including the African Union (AU), The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum, and the country governments of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Through the lens of Pan-Africanism, his research will explore how integrated their efforts are, the level of effective cooperation vs isolated efforts, and the complexity of their relations (or lack of) with local community actors on the ground.

 

Abdul completed his PhD in African History and War Studies at King’s College London. His thesis focused on humanitarian aid in Borno, Nigeria in response to Boko Haram’s insurgency. While there Abdul also worked as a tutor in World History.

 

Prior to his PhD, he worked as a Programme Officer in Neem Foundation, a humanitarian and development-focused non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating in Borno State and across Nigeria. This role prominently included him leading the establishment of early warning systems in rural communities in North-Eastern Nigeria that had been affected by the insurgency.

 

Abdul recently co-authored a paper published by Carnegie Endowment on Halting the Kleptocratic Capture of Local Government in Nigeria. His wider research interests include post-conflict aid, African history, security, Boko Haram, international policy, and African development.