It is an honour to serve as the IDRC Research Chair on Forced Displacement in Anglophone West Africa, hosted at the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana. This Chair provides both an opportunity and a responsibility to produce evidence that reflects the realities of displacement in our region—and to ensure that this knowledge leads to meaningful change.

Across West Africa, millions are displaced due to conflict, political violence, and climate-related disasters. Their stories reflect both hardship and resilience, yet their voices are often missing from policy discussions. At the same time, critical evidence gaps remain—particularly on access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and livelihoods, and on how governance systems and regional frameworks can better protect displaced people.

This Chair seeks to help bridge these gaps through interdisciplinary, gender-transformative, and participatory research. We work closely with displaced communities, governments, and regional partners to identify practical, inclusive, and rights-based solutions that strengthen resilience and advance social inclusion.

Mentorship and capacity-building are central to our mission. We aim to support a new generation of West African scholars and practitioners to lead research and policy action on forced displacement. Through collaboration, we can strengthen regional leadership and amplify knowledge production from the Global South.

Our vision is to make Anglophone West Africa a hub of innovation, research, and policy engagement on forced displacement—where evidence drives inclusion and justice. With support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and our regional partners, we are committed to turning knowledge into impact.

We invite you to connect with our work, engage with our findings, and join us in advancing dignity, rights, and sustainable solutions for displaced populations across West Africa.

Prof. Mary B. Setrana
IDRC Research Chair on Forced Displacement in Anglophone West Africa
Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana