The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Arsène T. Gbaguidi is NDI's resident country director in Guinea.

Before joining NDI, Mr. Gbaguidi worked in the electoral assistance division of the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on voter outreach and education, especially to young people. He also worked with political parties, religious organizations and women's groups on strategies for better representation for women at the local level of government.

Mr. Gbaguidi has also worked with a variety of civil society groups and local legislatures in Benin, and has worked on voter education projects in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In Benin, he coordinated an E.U. program focused on decentralization, civic engagement and local governance.

He has served as a consultant on issues of development, democracy, governance and training for such organizations as the E.U., the World Bank, the UNDP and more.

He holds a DESS degree in democracy and good governance and a DESS degree in local development and project management.