Dr. Dela Nai leads Ibis’s Africa work, operationalizing Ibis’s Africa Region strategy to expand research, partnerships, and impact on the continent. As a member of the Senior Management Team, she also plays a key role in the global leadership of the organization. Dela is dedicated to ensuring reproductive justice and equity as well as advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. An accomplished research scientist, her work has focused on sexual and reproductive health/family planning (FP), adolescents and youth, and expanding access to health services through task sharing. Dela has led the implementation of mixed-methods studies and interventions, including the introduction of a subcutaneous contraceptive self-injection (DMPA-SC); social accountability in FP; the impact of COVID-19 on FP service delivery continuity; adding FP onto a national health insurance scheme; and adolescent girls’ pathways to resilience in the Sahel. These studies generated sound evidence used by decision-makers in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo to bring successful programs and interventions to scale.
Prior to joining Ibis, Dela worked with the Population Council and served as the Acting Country Representative in Ghana as well as the Lead for the GIRL Center’s West and Central Africa Regional Hub. Dela holds a PhD in Development Sociology and Social Demography from Cornell University and is fluent in French.