Njoya Tikum

Njoya Hilary Tikum
Njoya Tikum in 2026
Born	Njoya Hilary Tikum (1980-04-30) April 30, 1980 (age 45) Cameroon
Citizenship	Cameroon
Alma mater	University of Yaoundé II, Columbia Law School, Central European University, Yale University (Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow)
Occupations	Lawyer, development professional, United Nations official
Employer	United Nations Development Programme
Title	Director of the Sub‑Regional Hub for West and Central Africa; Resident Representative of UNDP Senegal

Njoya Hilary Tikum is a Cameroonian development professional and United Nations official. He serves as Director of the Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and as Resident Representative of UNDP in Senegal. His work focuses on governance, peacebuilding, and sustainable development across multiple countries in West and Central Africa. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early life and Education

Born on April 30, 1980, Tikum studied law at the University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon, where he obtained a Licence and Maîtrise en Droit. He later earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the Columbia Law School in the United States and an LL.M. in International Business Law from the Central European University in Hungary and Austria.

He was also a Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow at the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University.

In 2023, Tikum was included in Reputation Poll International’s list of the “100 Most Reputable Africans,” which recognizes public figures across the continent. ^[4]

Career

Before joining the United Nations system, Tikum worked as an attorney and human rights practitioner. He served as a Senior Human Rights Fellow at the Human Rights Institute of Columbia Law School and as a Legal Associate at the African Services Committee. He also co-founded the Centre for Public Interest Law in Cameroon. ^[5]

Within the United Nations system, Tikum has held leadership and management roles in both the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the United Nations Development Programme. He served as Manager and Head of the Regional Office for East and Southern Africa at UNV, where he coordinated regional programmes and institutional operations. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

He has also worked with UNDP in Senegal, Ethiopia, Liberia, South Sudan, and at United Nations Headquarters in New York. His work has focused on governance, peacebuilding, anti-corruption, and sustainable development initiatives. ^[10]

Tikum currently leads policy and programme coordination for UNDP activities across the West and Central Africa sub-region, working with regional institutions and development partners on governance, peace and security, and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

Publications

Tikum has written on governance, anti-corruption, development, and regional integration. His work includes academic contributions and opinion articles in international and African media outlets.

• Tikum, Njoya. “Corruption, conflict and poverty in Africa.” In Conflict and Poverty in Africa: A Research Companion, edited by Ebenezer Durojaye, Gladys Mirugi-Mukundi, John-Mark Iyi, and Usang Maria Assim, Routledge, 2025. ^[14]

• Tikum, Njoya. “Guerre en Ukraine : ‘Le sort de l’Afrique dépend aussi de sa capacité à renforcer sa souveraineté alimentaire’.” Le Monde, 7 September 2022. ^[15]

• Tikum, Njoya. Articles on governance, development, and regional integration. Jeune Afrique. ^[16]

• Tikum, Njoya. Opinion and commentary on global development and multilateral cooperation. TRT Afrika. ^[17]

• United Nations Development Programme. The Future of Governance: Cohesion and Public Trust. Edited by Njoya Tikum.

• Tikum, Njoya. “Charting a Bold Future.” UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa blog, 21 April 2025. ^[18]

• Tikum, Njoya. “A Transition to Renewable Energy in the Sahel.” UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa blog, 8 August 2024. ^[19]

• Tikum, Njoya. “Prejudice disguised as critique: The legacy of AU Commission Chair Dlamini-Zuma.” Pambazuka News, 28 July 2016. ^[20]

References

1. "Njoya Tikum | United Nations Development Programme". www.undp.org. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
2. "Njoya TIKUM, Regional Policy and Programme Advisor Anti-Corruption & Economic Governance | Policy Center". www.policycenter.ma. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
3. "Cameroon lagging on the Protocol | Pambazuka News". www.pambazuka.org. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
4. "CEU Alumnus Njoya Tikum (LEGS '06) among the 100 Most Reputable Africans". Alumni Relations Office. 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
5. "Our team". UNDP. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
6. "UNV | VOLUNTEERS". www.unv.org. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
7. "COMESA, UNV Revives Partnership on Youth Employment – Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)" . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
8. "Njoya Tikum – World Policy Conference" . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
9. "Njoya TIKUM | Policy Center". www.policycenter.ma. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
10. "IOM Committed to Addressing Migration Challenges in West and Central Africa: DDG visit to Dakar, Senegal". rodakar.iom.int. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
11. Brady, Emily (2008-12-06). "The Year of Living Nervously". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
12. "Njoya Tikum – Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program" . Retrieved 2025-01-11.
13. Stephenson, Matthew (2016-01-21). "Njoya Tikum". GAB | The Global Anticorruption Blog. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
14. Durojaye, Ebenezer; Mirigu-Mukundi, Gladys; Iyi, John-Mark; Assim, Ussang, eds. (2025). Conflict and poverty in Africa: a research companion. Routledge research companions in law. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN   978-1-032-54555-4.
15. "The Future of Governance in the Sahel". July 24, 2025.
16. "Njoya Tikum - Jeune Afrique.com : suivez toute l'actualité sur JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-21.
17. "TRT Afrika - Breaking News From Africa And Around The World". www.trtafrika.com. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
18. "Charting a Bold Future". UNDP. Archived from the original on 2025-09-13. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
19. "A Transition to Renewable Energy in the Sahel". UNDP. Archived from the original on 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
20. "Njoya Tikum | Pambazuka News". www.pambazuka.org. Retrieved 2026-02-21.