Nigeria
Countering Violent Extremism
Hijri (Unknown) , Common Era (Unknown)
Dr. Fatima Akilu is the Executive Director of Neem Foundation, committed to counter extremist narratives. Neem Foundation improves the lives of those affected by the North-East insurgency in Nigeria by building inclusive communities and raising psycho-social care standards. Dr. Akilu pioneered Nigeria’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program as the Director for Behavioral Analysis and Strategic Communications at the Office of the National Security Adviser. She heads the Psychosocial Services Component of the foundation. She is a trained psychologist with over 20 years of experience in mental health and psychology. She has taught and authored research papers relating to homelessness, ethnicity, and its relationship with mental health. Dr. Akilu holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Reading (UK) and has worked as an Adjunct Professor of General Psychology at Broome Community College (USA) for the past 12 years. Dr. Akilu has garnered experience in the Communications industry in her capacity as the Chairperson of the Editorial Board of a leading Nigerian national newspaper and the Head of Communication to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) Nigerian President on Millennium Development Goals.
