President Barack Obama and Her Excellency Hassana Alidou, an AAI alumna and Niger Ambassador to the United States.

AAI is proud to announce that Her Excellency Hassana Alidou, an AAI alumna, was recently appointed as the ambassador of the Republic of Niger by Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger.

A graduate of AAI’s African Graduate Fellowship Program (AFGRAD),  Alidou received her doctorate from the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1994.

President Barack Obama hosted an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office on February 23, where he welcomed Ambassador Alidou and other new diplomats. The presentation of credentials is a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an Ambassador’s service in Washington.

Prior to her ambassadorship, Ambassador Alidou served as a professor of Education and Cross-cultural Studies at the Graduate School of Education at Alliant International University in San Diego. At Alliant International University, she focused on language policy in education and development, development of multilingual literate environments, women studies and peace education.  Ambassador Alidou has worked extensively in more than 30 African countries providing technical guidance on this specialization to national governments and international organizations, including UNESCO and the World Bank.