Conflict Research Network West Africa Appoints Allison As New Director

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan 

The Conflict Research Network West Africa (CORN West Africa) has appointed Dr. Timipere Felix Allison as its new director, effective September 1, 2024.

A release on Tuesday by the Director of Public Communications of the organization, Prof. Oludayo Tade, said Allison takes over the leadership of the frontline peace and conflict research network in West Africa from Dr Tarila Marclint Ebiede, who has led the network meritoriously for four years.

“Before his appointment, Dr. Allison served as the Head of Programmes at CORN West Africa. Prior to joining CORN West Africa, he was the Head of Programmes at the Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD West Africa) and a Senior Programme Manager at the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN). Dr. Allison holds a PhD in International Development from Nagoya University, Japan, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Political Science, specializing in Political Theory and Methods, from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria,” the statement said.

According to the release, the management and membership thank “the outgoing Director, Dr. Tarila Marclint Ebiede, for his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the development of CORN West Africa over the past four years”.

Tade noted that under Tarila’s stewardship, “CORN West Africa has reached remarkable milestones, including organizing two international conferences, research and collaboration opportunities for members of the network, numerous research workshops and webinars, completing impactful research projects, engaging with policymakers, and successfully collaborating with esteemed national and international partners. His tenure also saw the production of impactful publications and a substantial increase in our influence as a reputable knowledge platform in the field of peace, conflict and security research in West Africa. 

“Dr. Ebiede’s visionary leadership has solidified CORN West Africa’s position as a leading voice in conflict research and policy analysis in the region. As he steps down from his role as Director, we are pleased to announce that he will continue to contribute to our network as a member of the Advisory Board. In this capacity, Dr. Ebiede will join other members on the Advisory Board to provide strategic support, helping to ensure the continued growth and success of CORN West Africa.”

He added that Allison will build on this strong foundation by focusing on strengthening “our institutional governance, expanding and fortifying our membership base, operationalizing CORN’s research agenda, pursuing new strategic partnerships, and launching the CORN Research Academy”.