Professional Experience:
Experience working with local communities, household surveys, market and value chain analysis, botanical / NTFP / wildlife inventories, watershed assessments and management plans, village development plans, community governance, gender, youth and social equity, sylviculture and agroforestry.
I have worked at national, regional and international level facilitating partnerships and processes for development of community forestry guidelines in Cameroon, Co-Management guidelines in Guinea, Species action plans for the Western Chimpanzee and for the West and central African Pangolins, renewal of Atlantic Sea Turtle MOU, Development of an Aquatic Wild Meat Action Plan for West Africa, development and implementation of the ECOWAS Forest Convergence Plan, and development and implementation of a West Africa Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Crime. I have provided strategic vision for developing new research and / or policy streams during various conferences of the parties for UNCCC, CITES, RAMSAR, CMS and Abidjan Convention. This has included supporting ECOWAS Member States in planning and organising multiple pre-COP meetings and organising 16 side events at various COPs. I have led the engagement of private sector (Banking, Airlines, Logistics and shipping companies) in combatting wildlife crime.
20 years international research experience in forests and livelihoods; forest governance; gender and equity, REDD+ and climate change adaptation; wildlife crime; coastal zone management and ecosystem resilience. I have over 60 (mostly international) publications, policy or issues briefs, factsheets and other learning or advocacy material I have co-produced.
Strong experience in capacity strengthening, including development of modules, running training workshops, and being a trainer on varied topics including; nursery establishment and management, rattan cultivation, processing and marketing, watershed assessments and management, climate change resilience, multi-taxa biodiversity assessments, village development planning, research methods, evidence based advocacy, integration of human rights considerations into biodiversity conservation and wildlife enforcement, basic investigator techniques for wildlife enforcement agencies including customs, judiciary, wildlife, police, etc. I have designed and run scholarship and mentorship programs and supported about 100 successful master’s degree students across Africa. Personally supervised more than 20 master’s theses through partnerships with the International University of Andalucía in Spain, US Fish and Wildlife Services, and various universities in West Africa.
Lead role in establishment of networks such as the Abidjan Aquatic Wildlife Partnership (AAWP), West Africa Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WASTCON), and West Africa Pangolin Network. Co-founder of the Western Chimpanzee Action Plan Implementation Committee and co-chair of its Land Use Planning Sub Committee.
Founder, and board member of the NGO Forests, Resources and People (FOREP). Thematic lead for numerous regional projects or programs. Board Member for the Parents National Educational Union (P.N.E.U.) School in Yaounde-Cameroon. I have been Chief of Party for the USAID funded Landscape Management for Improved Livelihoods (LAMIL) Program, and Regional Director for the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in West Africa. Managed teams ranging from 6 persons to over 100 persons and supervised recruitments, procurement and financial management, design and supervision of grants, partnership and institutional representation. Trained and experienced in strategic planning, outcome mapping and assessment using theories of change and impact pathway models. Strong ability to communicate and design communication materials and campaigns.