Addis Ababa — The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Mr. Carlos Lopes, has been listed among Africa's 100 most influential people for 2014 by francophone newspaper, Financial Afrik.
Mr. Lopes joins a circle of prominent African players in the fields of economics and finance, that include Mohammed al Kettani, Director General of Attijariwafa Bank; Edoh Kossi and Gabriel Fal.
The pan African business weekly says that Mr. Lopes was instrumental in putting the issues of industrialization and structural transformation at the center of debates and discussions at meetings and conferences held by the continent's regional bodies and this has had a profound effect on transformation efforts across Africa. Also noteworthy, was the ECA boss's insistence on Africa taking full control of its development and economic narratives.
"Transformation also takes place through the mastering of one's image and narrative. Africa should own its development and achievements narrative and be able, at any given moment, to produce data, statistics and reliable solutions. Beyond the aggregation of numbers, transformation is a strategy aiming to break away (from past patterns)," Mr Lopes is quoted as saying by Financial Afrik.
The newspaper says that the list of influential Africans is not exhaustive and that the selection of the Top 100 has taken into account those who have made an impact on the continent's economic efforts and news coverage.
