CODESRIA

Dear Members of the CODESRIA Community,

Greetings from Dakar! I write to you today as I formally assume office as the Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). It is both an immense honour and a profound responsibility to be entrusted with the leadership of an institution that has, for more than five decades, occupied such an important place in Africa’s intellectual life. Aware of the challenges that lie ahead, I take up this responsibility with humility, a deep appreciation of the Council’s remarkable history, and an abiding faith in and commitment to the ideals that have sustained it: intellectual autonomy, critical scholarship, academic freedom, and the collective pursuit of knowledge in the service of Africa and its peoples.

I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to my immediate predecessor, Professor Godwin Murunga, for his decade-long stewardship of the Council. His dedication, leadership, and service to CODESRIA deserve our collective appreciation. I inherit an institution shaped by the contributions and sacrifices of generations of African scholars, administrators, and intellectuals, whose work has made CODESRIA what it is today.

As we embark on this new chapter together, we do so at a moment of profound transformations in Africa and the wider world. These changing circumstances present formidable challenges, but also renewed opportunities to affirm the relevance of critical African scholarship and the importance of institutions such as CODESRIA. I harbour no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead, nor do I underestimate the magnitude of the task before us. Yet I remain deeply optimistic about the possibilities within our collective reach and excited about the future we can build together. In the coming weeks, as I settle into my new responsibilities, I look forward to sharing my vision for the Council with you and engaging our community in a collective conversation about its future. For now, I wish simply to reaffirm my commitment to working with all of you to consolidate our achievements, confront our challenges, carry forward the intellectual mission entrusted to us, and be both the face of the Council and champion of African scholarship and intellectual production.

I look forward to the journey ahead, and to the possibilities we will create together.

With kind regards and best wishes,

Zubairu Wai

Executive Secretary

CODESRIA