The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has appointed Nigerian author Udo Ilo as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sam Muller, the founding CEO.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Netherlands-based organisation said the leadership transition provides an opportunity to further expand people-centred justice, building on HiiL’s solid foundations.
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It added that the appointment of Mr Ilo follows a strategic decision by Mr Muller, who informed the Supervisory Board at the start of the year of his intention to step down and pave the way for a new leader.
The HiiL is a leading organisation in the promotion of people-centred justice systems. It combines research, innovation, advocacy, and partnerships to help countries understand people’s justice needs and helps design context-fit solutions that address those concerns. The group collaborates with justice providers, including ministries of justice and judiciaries, to develop solutions and improve systems so that more people can effectively prevent or resolve their justice problems.
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After a rigorous and thorough recruitment process, the Supervisory Board selected Mr Ilo as the ideal candidate to lead the HiiL into its next chapter of innovation and growth.
Mr Ilo brings over two decades of experience in security governance, democracy promotion, and social innovation. Over the past year, he has served as the Interim Executive Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), where he successfully enhanced the organisation’s effectiveness, resilience, and global profile.
As the leader of Open Society Foundations in Nigeria for a decade, Mr Ilo provided strategic leadership on expanding civic space, supporting new organisations and activists, and promoting accountability and good governance. He played a key role in opening the space for new ideas and new organisations and was directly instrumental in birthing or supporting new social innovation and activist groups in Nigeria who have gone on to become major influencers within and beyond Africa.
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Mr Ilo recently published the book: “It is POSSIBLE: Influencing Change in Nigeria”. At various times, he has led advocacy delegations to Brussels, London, the United Nations and Washington DC. He has also testified as a witness before the United States Congress.
In Nigeria and elsewhere, Mr Ilo has demonstrated a remarkable ability to drive systemic change through creative programming and by fostering new ideas and organisations. The Supervisory Board of the HiiL said his dedication to democracy and innovation aligns seamlessly with HiiL’s mission to ensure justice for all through cutting-edge solutions.
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“I am excited about this opportunity because it speaks to my personal philosophy which sees the fate of the ‘weakest’ in our society as the fundamental measure of the fairness of a society,” Mr Ilo said.
“Justice is central to the stability and effectiveness of any society. Often, it is the people’s encounter with the justice system or demand for justice in the resolution of their daily challenges that counts for them. In most jurisdictions, these needs do not feature in the justice system radar.”
HiiL has programmes in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Burkina Faso, and with UNHCR in various countries, and projects in Iraq and Syria.
Mr Ilo will assume his new role on 1 February 2025.
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