Hajiya Raheemat Omoro Momodu is the pioneer Head, ECOWAS Liaison Office at the African Union (AU). She represents all ECOWAS Community Institutions at the AU and all Diplomatic Missions and Multilateral Institutions in all areas of international cooperation in Addis Ababa.

Ms. Momodu holds three Master’s Degrees in Managing Peace and Security in Africa from the Institute of Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) Addis Ababa University-Ethiopia (2011), Gender and Development, Institute of Development Studies (IDS) University of Sussex- England (2000) Geography and Planning, University of Lagos-Nigeria (1991) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and Regional Planning from University of Jos, Nigeria (1987).

She is a Conflict Analyst, Trainer, Facilitator, Children, Youth and Gender Advocate, who has 25 years working experience in Journalism/Media, Gender and Development, Capacity Building/ Training, Governance, Human Rights, Youth Development, Grant and Programme Management, Resource Mobilization, Policy and Strategy Development; and Peace and Security.

Before joining ECOWAS in August 2008, Ms Momodu has had vast and diverse working experience with leading Inter Governmental and International Organizations including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 2005 to 2008, European Union Delegation to Nigeria (EU) 2003-2005, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) 2001-2003 and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/OTI)- 2000-2001. Prior to the time her career path led her into the development sector, she had a rich career in journalism, (1990-1999) leaving as a Group Assistant Political Editor of the defunct Concord Newspapers, Nigeria. She was also a Program Consultant, International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos, Nigeria from March to September 2001

Over the period of 1992-2006, she was facilitator and resource person in various areas including Media, Gender and Development, Advocacy, Policy Development, Programme Management, Corporate Communication/ Public Relations, Democracy & Governance, Politics and Development for the following Organizations–United Agency For International Development (USAID), Johns Hopkins University / Population Communications Services (JHU/PCS), Centre For Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), USAID/ Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)- Nigeria, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigerian Union Of Journalists (NUJ) and International Press Centre, (IPC) Lagos. She has also served in the National Affirmative Action Committee of the Federal Government of Nigeria (1998/99) and the Lagos State Child Welfare Committee (1996/1997).

Hajia Momodu has participated in the United States Department of State’s International Visitors Leadership Programme on Human Rights Advocacy (2004), received the British Government Chevening Post Graduate scholarship (1999/2000), the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Post Graduate scholarship (1988/89), and the University of Lagos Post Graduate scholarship (1988/89). She is a member of the African Security Sector Network (ASSN), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Concerned Professionals (CP) and The Nigerian Development Collective.

She is an alumnus of the Senior Executives in National and International Security Executive Program of the Harvard University’s Kennedy School, Cambridge- Boston (2013), NATO Crisis Management Course of the NATO School, Oberammergau/ Germany (2012) and the African Union Senior Mission Leadership Course (2010). In her current position, she has built a remarkable variety of capacities and competencies including mastering the art of robustly engaging at the highest levels with Heads of Governments, leaders of major global intergovernmental organizations, development partners, and the diplomatic community in and beyond Addis Ababa.

She is currently a member of the Tana High Level Forum on Security in Africa Technical Committee (2014-2016). Widely traveled, Ms Momodu is well published, a poet and a committed Pan African.