The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has announced the appointment of Nigerian social change activist Udo Jude Ilo as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2025.
Ilo, former Nigeria representative of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), succeeds Sam Muller, the founding CEO, who has led the organisation for two decades, shaping it into a globally recognised champion of innovation in justice systems.
The institution announced this on its website on Wednesday, stating that the leadership transition follows Muller’s strategic decision to step down earlier this year, a move he communicated formally to the Supervisory Board to pave the way for new leadership.
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After a rigorous recruitment process, the board selected Ilo as the ideal candidate to lead HiiL into its next phase of innovation and growth, HiiL said.
“Udo Jude 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 Centre for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), where he successfully enhanced the organisation’s effectiveness, resilience, and global profile,” a part of the statement reads.
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Responding to the appointment, Ilo expressed delight about the opportunity because it speaks to his philosophy, which sees the fate of the ‘weakest’ in society as the fundamental measure of fairness in a society.
“I am deeply honoured to lead HiiL into its next chapter. Sam Muller has built an extraordinary foundation that has redefined access to justice,” he said.
“As we move forward, I am committed to expanding our impact, harnessing innovation to meet the evolving needs of justice systems globally, and ensuring that HiiL remains at the forefront of creating impactful people-centred solutions.”
Ilo has close to two decades experience working in the democracy space, driving social innovation and influencing change. Udo’s focus has been about creativity and finding new tools for democracy promotion. As the Nigerian representative for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Udo provided strategic leadership in opening the frontier of governance and civic space in Nigeria through grant making, advocacy and network building. He also led OSIWA’s election work in 10 focus countries, providing advocacy support to elevate issues affecting the electoral process in these countries. Udo was involved in the design and roll-out of the West Africa Elders Platform, a standing platform of former heads of state in West Africa committed to using their influence to promote good governance, conflict resolution and democracy in the region.
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