Comfort Ero stepped into the presidency of the International Crisis Group (ICG) knowing the role ranked among the most demanding in global leadership. She did not expect that within two months Russia would invade Ukraine, thrusting the New York-based think tank into the centre of the most significant international crisis in recent history.
Ero made history as the first Black woman to lead the organisation since its establishment in 1995, and only the second woman to hold the position. Her appointment marked a milestone for African representation in global peace and security leadership.
Although born in England to Nigerian parents, Ero’s connection to Nigeria runs deep. Her parents were unable to return home after completing university in Britain because of the Nigerian Civil War, known as the Biafran War. The conflict forced them to remain abroad until conditions improved, a displacement that shaped Ero’s early understanding of war and its consequences. Once peace gradually returned, she and her older brother were sent to Lagos to spend their formative years with relatives. She has described the experience as instrumental in grounding her in Nigerian culture, values and identity.
Ero later returned to Britain for primary education and went on to earn a PhD from the London School of Economics. Her career in international affairs took her to some of the world’s most fragile conflict zones. Before joining ICG in 2011 as Africa Programme Director, she served with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia as a political affairs officer and policy adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Her work has also covered conflicts across Africa, the Balkans and the Pacific, giving her first-hand insight into the human toll of war.
Diplomacy was not her childhood ambition. She once dreamed of becoming an interior designer before a fascination with Cold War politics — studying leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev — steered her toward international relations and conflict prevention.
Ero assumed leadership at a moment of rising geopolitical tension. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war served as an immediate reminder of ICG’s mission to prevent deadly conflicts through research, diplomacy and policy recommendations. Despite the enormous responsibility, she has described the opportunity as both exciting and daunting, drawing on years of experience with African conflicts to inform responses to crises elsewhere.
Throughout her career, Ero has remained convinced that diplomacy and international cooperation can prevent suffering. She views conflict as a crisis that falls hardest on ordinary civilians, making peacebuilding a moral imperative rather than a purely political exercise. Reflecting on her historic appointment, she has called it a proud moment and a heavy responsibility, acknowledging that many see her leadership as a symbol of change and expect transformation within the organisation and beyond.
