Fatima Kyari Mohammed

Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed is the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. In addition to representational functions her mandate includes developing and maintaining constructive and productive institutional relationships between the African Union and United Nations institutions, supporting and coordinating the activities of the African Group at the United Nations as well as ensuring the effective monitoring, implementation, and
promotion of African Union Decisions within the African group in multilateral negotiations.

Prior to her appointment, she was a Senior Advisor to the ECOWAS Commission. Her career spans more than two decades with a focus on peace, security, socio-economic development, regional integration, organizational development, and project management in the public and private sectors.

She is also the Founder of the LikeMinds Project, a non-profit, non-partisan organisation working with vulnerable communities in Nigeria. The organization works with displaced communities from Northeast Nigeria particularly in the area of Women and Youth empowerment and support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC).

Her academic background is in Peace, Security, Development and Conflict Transformation (University of Innsbruck, Austria), Sustainable Economic Development (UN University of Peace, Costa Rica), and Business Communication (MBA, European University, Switzerland). She also holds a BA in Environmental Design from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. In addition to English she speaks fluent French, Hausa, and Kanuri and has a basic knowledge of Arabic and Spanish. In her spare time she enjoys painting, photography, travelling and learning about different countries and cultures, and engaging in community development activities.

Some of her publications and articles include: The Future of Nigeria: Security Challenges and Implications for Internal, Regional, and Global Security Environment (Revue Défense Nationale, Summer 2016); “A Human Security & Development Approach to CVE in Northeast Nigeria: Exploring the Role of Women” (August 2015);#BringBackOurGirls: Psychological Terrorists or Peace Warriors (August 2014); “Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict: Challenges for Sustainable Peace in the Lake Chad (June 2014);“Engaging Private Sector Corporations in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding through Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case study of Northern Nigeria” (September, 2013); “Security and Development in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in the Sahel – Case study: Northern Nigeria” (May 2013); “Women as Drivers of Economic Recovery and Development in the Sahel Region” HD Centre/EU‐ UNWOMEN Discussion paper (April 2013); “Regional Security Lessons from the Attack on Algeria’s In Amenas Gas Plant” – USIP, Olive Branch (January 2013); “Nigeria: Fuel Subsidy Removal and the National Crisis” Peace and Conflict Monitor (March 2012);“Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector in West Africa: Opportunities and Challenges – Case Study of ECOWAS” (2005); “Oiling Violence: The Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Niger Delta” – FES (2005).