Chidi Blyden is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs for the US Department of Defense. Ms. Blyden is an expert and socio-cultural advisor on Africa’s conflicts, security, and development issues. She comes to the role with policy, national security, and practitioner experience from her career in government, academia, and non-profit sectors. Her work focuses on the impact of culture in developing policy and community-centric approaches to defense and security challenges in African nations, underscoring the role of women and youth in peace and security.
