[1] The organization aims to promote the values of democracy, peace and human rights in Africa, particularly in the West African sub-region.
[3] One of the founding members was Biko Agozino, a criminologist whose books explored the impact of colonization on the way racial and ethnic minorities are treated by justice systems worldwide.
The Centre is engaged in capacity-building work, policy analysis and advocacy, and as a research reference point on democratic governance, human security, and people-centered development in the region.
[6] In collaboration with the Kituo Cha Katiba (East African Centre for Constitutional Development), the CDD has run a capacity-building project funded by the Ford Foundation.
Since then it has organised several forums, developed counter radical narratives,[11][12][13] and supported the Operation Safe Corridor[14] (OSC) program of the Nigerian Government on deradicalisation, rehabilitation of former Boko Haram militants and has an MOU[15] with the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative.