Creative congratulates BUILD advisor on his appointment as Somalia’s NIEC Secretary General

January 19, 2019

Creative congratulates Abdirizak Bashir Mohamed, former advisor on the Bringing Unity, Integrity, and Legitimacy to Democracy project, on his new role as Secretary General of the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) of Somalia.

As a critical member of the BUILD project team, Mr. Abdirizak Bashir advised the NIEC on knowledge management, supporting the commission in a wide range of activities and assisting with state consultations on the election around the country.

The five-year BUILD project is providing critical assistance to help bolster electoral systems, strengthen civil society and encourage civic participation in Somalia, with a particular focus on women, youth and other marginalized groups. The project is funded by the USAID and implemented by Creative.

Successful partnership with NIEC

Creative has been a partner of the NIEC since 2016, working closely with Chairperson Halima Ismail Ibrahim and her team to achieve their challenging but critical mission of delivering universal elections in Somalia.

Last year, Creative’s President and CEO Leland Kruvant met Chairperson Halima Ismail to discuss this ongoing and future collaboration.

“I was impressed by everything she and her team have been able to achieve as a relatively new body operating in Somalia’s challenging context,” said Kruvant.

BUILD staff say they are sad to see Abdirizak leave the project but that his new role as Secretary General is critically important for the country and augments the already strong relationship between Creative and the NIEC.

During the transition, Creative’s team in Somalia is working with NIEC to find Abdirizak’s replacement and provide NIEC with additional experts and resources on this path.