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.

Arsene T. Gbaguidi is NDI’s Resident Director in Guinea, where he manages the Institute's programs focused on elections, women’s political participation, political party strengthening, and citizen election observation.

Before assuming his current position in Guinea, Mr. Gbaguidi served as NDI’s Resident Director in the Central African Republic, where he supported the National Elections Observatory (Observatoire Nationale des Elections -- ONE), a group consisting of 80 civil society organizations, to conduct nonpartisan election observer trainings, organize civic and voter education campaigns, and monitor the country’s 2011 presidential and legislative polls.

Prior to joining NDI, Mr. Gbaguidi worked in the Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where he developed civic and voter education programs targeting Congolese youth.  He also assisted political parties, religious organizations, civil society organizations, and women's groups to create strategies to enhance their representation in government.

Mr. Gbaguidi has coordinated civic education and electoral observation programs in partnership with West African civil society organizations in countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.  In Benin, he coordinated PRODECOM, a European Union-funded program focused on decentralization, civic engagement and local governance. Mr. Gbaguidi has also worked as a democracy and governance consultant for organizations such as the European Union, the World Bank, UNDP, and GTZ.

Mr. Gbaguidi holds a Masters degree in business law and judicial careers, and also holds two post-graduate degrees in democracy & good governance and project management & local development.