​The Nigerien Ibrahim Assane Mayaki will become president of the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC) as of January 2019. Since 2009, Dr Mayaki has been the chief executive pfficer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). From 2004-09, he served as executive director of Rural Hub, a Dakar-based platform supporting rural development in West and Central Africa. A former prime minister of Niger from 1997 to 2000, Mayaki is committed to promoting social dialogue. In 2000, he created the first National Social Dialogue Commission of Niger. He also started a think tank for public policy debate on health and education issues. From 1996-97, he was appointed minister in charge of African integration and co-operation and minister of foreign affairs. He previously worked in the mining sector for about 10 years. Mayaki also has experience teaching. In the 1980s, he worked as a professor of public administration in Niger and Venezuela. From 2000 to 2004, Mayaki was a guest professor at the University of Paris XI, where he lectured on international relations. He holds a master’s degree from the National School of Public Administration (Enap) in Quebec, Canada and a PhD in administrative science from the University of Paris I in France. Mayaki has become a voice for Africa’s future. In his most recent book, “Africa’s Critical Choice,” he calls for a pan-African roadmap and offers a guide for future generations to address the crucial changes Africa is facing.