Peace and security practitioner with over two decades of experience in conflict prevention, management, and peace support operations, Levinia Addae-Mensah has been appointed as the first female Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in its 25-year history. She succeeds Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze.

At a leadership transition and farewell ceremony, the outgoing Executive Director, Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze, highlighted several major achievements during his tenure, including WANEP’s permanent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Union in 2015 as a Civil Society Organization (CSO) partner for implementing the AU Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

This partnership allowed WANEP to share office space with the AU Department for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, making it the only indigenous African CSO with such a status.

Dr. Eze also listed other key successes, such as acquiring a single accounting software in 2016 to harmonize systems across WANEP's 15 national offices, unveiling WANEP’s permanent headquarters in 2017, acquiring a hectare of land in Prampram for a proposed Peacebuilding Resource Center, and establishing the West Africa Peacebuilding Fellows (WAPeF) initiative, which honoured 20 distinguished West Africans.

He further noted the signing of WANEP’s first partnership with the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund in 2020 to strengthen a gender-sensitive Early Warning and Response Mechanism for West and Central Africa, and securing direct U.S. government funding of nearly $3 million, making WANEP the first West African CSO to achieve such a partnership.

In her acceptance speech, Levinia Addae-Mensah expressed her commitment to leading WANEP with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision for a peaceful West Africa. She emphasized the significance of her appointment as not just an inspirational moment for women and girls but also a testimony to WANEP's strength and commitment to leadership transition and gender equality.

"This is the third leadership transition in 25 years—a testament to WANEP’s commitment to practicing what it preaches," she said. Levinia highlighted WANEP’s consistent advocacy for gender equity, noting that she stands as a beneficiary of the institution’s deliberate efforts to create opportunities for women's growth and leadership.

WANEP Co-founder and former Executive Director, Emmanuel Bombande expressed confidence in Levinia's ability to lead the network into the future.

The ceremony was attended by family members, WANEP employees from across the region, and partners, who joined virtually to offer their support and congratulations. Dr. Chukwuemeka Eze was honored with a citation and other gifts in recognition of his contributions.

Levinia Addae-Mensah’s distinguished career in peacebuilding has taken her to some of the most volatile countries in Africa, including Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Her journey began with International Alert in the UK and later led her to serve in various capacities at WANEP, including as the Special Projects Coordinator and West Africa Regional Coordinator for the Active Non-violence and Peace Education Programme.

After a period as an independent consultant in Botswana, she joined the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in 2008, where she broke the glass ceiling as the first and only female member of the Executive Management Committee.

Levinia has a wealth of experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, and organizational development, along with bilingual proficiency in French and English.