Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) today announced the appointment of Justice Mrs. Georgina Wood (Retired), immediate past Chief Justice of Ghana, as the 2017-2018 AIG Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

The AIG Fellowship is awarded each year to an individual from West Africa who has demonstrated evidence of outstanding contribution to the public good, through exemplary leadership in public service.

In 2007, Justice Mrs. Wood (rtd.) became the first woman to occupy the position of Chief Justice of Ghana.

After a stellar career in Ghana’s public service and judiciary, Justice Wood retired as Chief Justice in June 2017.Shortly after, and in the same month, she was sworn into the Council of State of Ghana – a body established under the country’s Constitution to counsel the President in the performance of his functions.

She also serves on the boards of international justice and human rights organisations such as the Global Justice Center.

“This is a further exciting step in our partnership with Africa Initiative for Governance,” said Professor Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government. “Chief Justice Wood (rtd.) has made an outstanding contribution to public service in Ghana. We look forward to learning from her during her Fellowship at the School.”

The AIG Fellowship is part of a five-year partnership established in 2016 between the Blavatnik School and AIG.

In addition to making available five scholarships every year to talented, young West Africans from all backgrounds, the partnership also enables exceptional senior practitioners from West Africa to come to the School as AIG Visiting Fellows.

In 2016, AIG and the Blavatnik School were proud to announce Professor Attahiru Jega, former Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the inaugural AIG Fellow.

“The AIG Fellowships were instituted to enable Fellows expand their knowledge and leadership in the field of public policy and, after the Fellowship period at the School, help to drive AIG’s vision for transformational public-sector leadership across Africa,” said Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, AIG Founder and Chairman.

“We are very pleased to have Justice Mrs. Wood (rtd.) as the AIG Fellow for 2017 to 2018. Her trail-blazing experience is truly inspirational and her wealth of knowledge will be of continued benefit to our continent and to young people who aspire to do great good in public service.”

“I am honoured to serve as the 2017-2018 Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government. I look forward with excitement, to utilising this platform to contribute to the deepening of democracy and good governance in Africa. I believe that a strong public service anchored on leadership with integrity is one of the key drivers of development that can transform the lives of our people positively,” said justice Mrs. Wood (rtd.).

During their time at the School, AIG Fellows will have the opportunity to further develop their understanding of specific policy issues and solutions and to reflect on practices in other countries, with a view to returning to their country and helping to build competency and leadership capacity within the public sector, promoting the virtues of good public service and making the public sector attractive to the brightest minds.

AIG Fellows will also serve as mentors to AIG Scholars.