The President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, is pleased to announce the following appointments in the Office of the President;
CHIEF OF STAFF & DIRECTOR OF CABINET OF THE PRESIDENT AND SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT ON INDUSTRIALIZATION
Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka has been appointed the Chief of Staff and Director of Cabinet of the President and Special Advisor to the President on Industrialization with effect from 9th October 2018
Professor Oyeyinka, a Nigerian citizen, is a globally respected leader in the field of development economics, where he has contributed immensely to the social sciences of urbanization and human settlement, industrialization and economic development.
An astute manager, thought leader, strategist and scholar, he has distinguished himself in the fields of human, social and international development, which he has written extensively on.
Before this appointment, he worked as Director, Regional Office for Africa at the United Nations - Habitat (UN-Habitat) from 2007 to February 2017. In that role, he initiated and managed several human settlements as well as urban and social development projects globally. He supervised UN-Habitat programs in twenty-four countries and led UN-Habitat Cooperation Programs to support the formulation and implementation of National Urban Policy.
Professor Oyeyinka earlier served as Director, Monitoring and Research Division in which capacity he provided intellectual leadership for the UN-Habitat flagship reports. He also worked as Chief Scientific Advisor, UN-Habitat and as Senior Economic Advisor at the United Nations Centre on Trade and Development, Geneva where he coordinated the ten-year review of performance of the Least Developed Countries.
Between 2001 and 2006, he served as Professor at the United Nations University, Institute for New Technologies. He was also a Professorial Fellow, Technology, Innovation Policy and Development, at the United Nations University, MERIT, Maastricht, the Netherlands, a visiting Professor for the Innovation and Development at The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, and was a Senior Economic Advisor, for the United Nations Centre on Trade and Development.
Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka holds a First Class Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Ife, a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada and a Doctorate of Philosophy in the Political Economy of Technological Change and Industrialization, University of Sussex, United Kingdom.
DIRECTOR FOR SPECIAL DUTIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Ms. Maria Mutola Mulindi
Ms. Maria Mutola Mulindi has been appointed as Director for Special Duties, Civil Society and Community Based Organizations Engagement in the President's Office with effect from 15th October 2018.
Maria is a Kenyan citizen and brings into this role twenty years of extensive experience in managing development projects on reducing poverty and promoting food security in Africa, while leading dialogue and engagement with African Civil Society Organizations.
Maria has been the Chief of Staff and Director of Cabinet in the President's Office since April 2017. She joined the Bank as Senior Advisor to the President on Engagement with Civil Society and Community-based organizations. In this role, she was responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Bank's Framework for enhanced engagement and for executing the revised action plan. Her accountabilities included advising the President on the support required for the revision of policies, strategies and programs regarding women and other vulnerable groups. Her purview also included building wider engagement with communities in the regional member countries on matters of greater inclusiveness and people-oriented accountability.
As Director for Special Duties, she will specifically support the strengthening of the Bank's overall engagement with civil society and communities in East and Southern Africa.
Ms. Mulindi holds a Bachelor's Degree in Gender and Development from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and a Master's degree in Strategic Management from the Brunel University, United Kingdom.
SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT ON STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND PORTFOLIO DELIVERY
Dr. Samantha Naidoo
Dr. Samantha Naidoo has been appointed Senior Advisor to the President on Strategy Implementation and Portfolio Delivery with effect from 1st October 2018.
Dr. Naidoo is a South African national. Her global career has been diverse, spanning over two decades in international development, finance and healthcare.
Prior to this appointment, she worked as Portfolio Assistant/Advisor to the President of the World Bank Group since 2014. In that role, she gained valuable C-suite and governance experience and was also the primary liaison managing all external and internal technical enquiries to the President's office, related to matters in her portfolio. Her responsibilities included managing the timely resolution and communication of critical programmatic priorities and issues in close coordination with senior management and in-country teams; monitoring results delivery on certain global strategic and corporate initiatives and ensuring successful completion. Critical examples included the World Bank Group's response to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014. She also advised on implementation of key health policy initiatives.
Dr. Naidoo began her career as a medical doctor in South Africa and has over the years developed a robust technical understanding of the healthcare sector from a range of perspectives. Her expertise and work experience encompass health systems functionality, public and private sectoral dynamics, clinical and healthcare operations and management, pharma industry research and operations. Her track record also includes investor role management, galvanizing innovative financing solutions for public goods agendas including vaccines and pandemics management, and interfacing with governments on public policy, global agendas and public-private partnerships.
She joined the World Bank in 2004 as a Health Specialist in Washington D.C., United States of America, through the Young Professionals Program. Between 2006 and 2014, she worked in investment operations as an Investment Officer and later as a Senior Investment Officer for the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. She led and committed a range of investment projects using various financial instruments and working with diverse clients and teams in emerging markets in private health and education sectors globally. She also held functional responsibilities in business development and client relationship management, project execution, commitment, disbursement and portfolio management as project team analyst, transaction leader, team leader, and regional sector lead. Her prior investment experience includes investment banking and equity research at J.P. Morgan Chase in Johannesburg and London.
Dr. Naidoo holds a Bachelor of Medicine degree and a Bachelor of Surgery degree from Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. She also has a Master of Business Administration degree from Bond University, Johannesburg, South Africa, a Master of Science degree in Health Management and a Diploma from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London Business School, United Kingdom.
SPECIAL ENVOY, SHARE-HOLDER RELATIONS (AFRICA)
Mr Modibo I. Toure
Mr. Modibo I. Toure has been appointed Special Envoy, Share-holder Relations (Africa) in the office of the President with effect from 1st November 2018.
He is a citizen of Mali and brings into this role over 25 years of experience from both public and private sectors, in the field of development, banking with national government as well as regional and international organizations.
Mr. Toure has served in fragile environments, including post conflict, low- and middle-income countries. Between May 2016 and May 2018, Mr. Toure worked as Under Secretary General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Guinea Bissau. In this role, he provided intellectual and diplomatic leadership for the promotion of an inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation process in order to strengthen democratic governance, as well as resolve the political and institutional paralysis in Guinea Bissau. He provided support in strengthening democratic institutions and enhancing the capacity of the state organs to function effectively and constitutionally. He coordinated the international community's advocacy and facilitation efforts. He guided the main-streaming strategy of the gender perspective into peace-building efforts, in line with Security Council resolutions, and worked closely with the Peace-building Commission in support of Guinea-Bissau's peace-building priorities. He also provided oversight and substantive guidance to the mobilization, harmonization and coordination of international assistance for the security sector, governance reforms as well as the rule of law strategies. He was charged with enhancing strategic partnership and cooperation with the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries, the Economic Community of West Africa, the European Union and other partners in support of the maintenance of constitutional order and the stabilization of Guinea-Bissau.
From May 2013 to April 2016, Mr. Toure worked as Assistant Secretary General and Special Adviser, Office of the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for the Great Lakes Region Nairobi, Kenya, spearheading the United Nations' efforts in supporting the implementation and monitoring of the Framework Peace Agreement for the Great Lakes region signed by 12 countries. He had also earlier on worked as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in Bangui, Central African Republic
He was Minister in Charge of New Technologies, Telecommunications and Post Office, Bamako, Republic of Mali between March 2011 and March 2012. As Minister, he designed and began the implementation of new, innovative legal, policy and institutional framework to guide the development of the sector and lay the foundation for e-government, e-health and digital services.
Mr. Toure had also earlier on worked at the African Development Bank as Chief of Staff and Director, Office of the President, African Development Bank between March 2008 and February 2011 and as Secretary General from May 2006 to February 2008.
He started his career as an Internal Auditor at United Parcel Service, Nashville, United States of America before joining UNDP where he played various roles of increasing responsibilities, including United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative Ethiopia; United Nations Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative Chad; Deputy Resident Representative Rwanda; Programme Manager; Deputy Resident Representative Djibouti and Programme Officer/ Assistant Resident Representative, Burkina Faso.
Mr. Toure holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, Bamako, Mali and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States of America.
DIRECTOR, JOINT SECRETARIAT SUPPORT OFFICE, AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, AFRICAN UNION AND THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
Mr Lamin G. Barrow
Mr Lamin G. Barrow was appointed as the Director, Joint Secretariat Support Office for the African Development Bank, African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa in the office of the President with effect from 1st July 2018. In this role, he will also serve as the Bank's Special Representative to the African Union Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. In this role, he will raise the profile and spearhead the Bank's strategic partnership with the Africa Union and the Economic Commission for Africa on the High 5s of the Bank to accelerate the Agenda 2063, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area and regional integration efforts.
Mr Barrow, a Gambian national, joined the African Development Bank in 2000. Until this appointment, he was Manager responsible for the Office of the President since 2014. He brings into this role vast experience in diverse areas of project finance, regional integration and international development.
As Manager at the Office of the President with the rank of Director, Lamin was a principal aide of the President and supported the Chief of Staff and Director of Cabinet in the strategic management and coordination of the President's Office, as well as the planning, coordination and communication of the President's activities. His responsibilities included actively participating in senior management meetings for institutional planning, policy and strategy development, and following up on implementation of the President's decisions in liaison with key partner institutions, internal and external stakeholders and member countries of the Bank Group.
Lamin has had extensive professional experience within the Bank. He previously worked as Manager Operations, Technical Support and Regional Approaches Division of the Transition Support Department from 2013 to 2014. He was the Resident Representative for the Ethiopia Country Office from 2009 to 2013. He served as the Principal Country Program Officer, Rwanda Country Office from 2007 to 2009, Officer-in-Charge of the Kenya Country Office from 2006 to 2007, Senior Financial Analyst/Task Manager, NEPAD Infrastructure Projects Preparation Facility, Regional Integration and Trade Department from 2006 to 2007 and as Senior Financial Analyst, Operations Country Department South and Infrastructure Departments from 2000 to 2006.
Prior to joining the African Development Bank, Mr Barrow worked as Project Officer at Shelter Afrique between 1994 and 2000 and as Division Manager, Export Promotion, at The Gambia's National Investment Board from 1992 to 1994. He also worked in the Office of the President of The Gambia as Head of the Policy Analysis Unit from 1990 to 1991.
Mr. Barrow holds a Master's degree in Economic Policy from Boston University, United States of America and a Bachelor's degree in Economics, from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and professional certificates in investment analysis and finance from Queens University and The Wharton Business School, United States of America.
COUNTRY MANAGER, ALGERIA AND SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT (Middle East and North Africa Regions)
Mr. Lassaad Lachaal
Mr. Lassaad Lachaal was appointed Country Manager for Algeria effective July 16th 2018. This appointment is in addition to his role of Special Advisor to the President on Middle East and North Africa regions.
Mr. Lachaal is a Tunisian national who joined the African Development Bank in 2005 as Senior Economist. He has over 30 years of vast experience from both the private and development sectors.
In his past career, he worked as Chief Development Economist at the African Development Institute between 2010 and 2014, in which role he contributed to the development and delivery of training and capacity building programs for public sector officials across Africa in various areas of development. He also played a leading role in the monitoring of key performance indicators and the budgeting process as well as building and strengthening partnerships with international development agencies. He was at one point the Managing Editor of the African Development Review. Between 2008 and 2010, Mr. Lassaad was Deputy Director of the Joint Africa Institute jointly founded by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Africa Development Bank to respond to the critical need
for capacity building in a number of skill areas. In this role he provided the strategic direction for the institute in the design, development and delivery of tailor-made programs geared towards research, knowledge transfer and capacity development.
From 2014 to May 2015, Mr. Lassaad was the Minister for Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries in Tunisia during which he provided strategic leadership to the agricultural sector transformation in the areas of value chain development, access to market, water and soil conservation, as well as veterinary and sanitary surveillance among numerous other areas.
From November 2015 to November 2017, he was the Resident Representative for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in Niger. In this role he supported the Government of Niger to design and implement policies and programs for eradicating poverty and hunger, fostering livelihoods and building resilience. He mobilized resources to provide emergency assistance to refugees and victims of terrorism and internally displaced persons as well as communities affected by the pastoral crisis in the country.
Mr. Lachaal holds a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics, a Master of Economics degree and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Agriculture Economics from the University of Missouri, Columbia, United States of America. He also holds a certificate in Innovation for Economic Development from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, United States of America.
LEAD POLICY OFFICER (Agriculture, Human Development, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth)
Dr Caroline Jehu-Appiah
Dr Caroline Jehu-Appiah was appointed Lead Policy Officer in the Office of the President with effect from 1st June 2018. In this role, she is responsible for Agriculture, Human Development, Water and Sanitation, Gender and Civil society, Energy, Climate and Green Growth.
Dr. Jehu-Appiah is a citizen of Ghana. She has over 25 years of experience in policy development, policy analysis and implementation, strategic planning, health care financing reforms, social protection, gender mainstreaming, monitoring and economic evaluation policies. Her vast experience also includes providing strategic leadership in public health, safety nets, social protection as they relate to poverty reduction gained from working with governments, international non-governmental and local not-for-profit organisations, as well as bilateral and multi-lateral donors. She is also knowledgeable on human capital development issues, promoting inclusivity, green growth towards sustainable development and mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation as well as gender in the social sector development.
Before this appointment, she was Principal Health Economist in the Health Division, Human and Social Development Department, at the African Development Bank since 2011. In that role, her responsibilities included the initiation and leadership of high-level policy dialogue with borrowers and other health sector agencies in the Bank's Regional Member countries. She was largely responsible for advancing universal health coverage in the Bank's Regional Member Countries through health system strengthening efforts and supporting countries in their pandemic preparedness efforts to address the Ebola and Zika pandemics. She co-led the development of the Bank's Health Strategy and authored the Bank's Framework for Advancing Universal Health Coverage in Africa. She delivered eight projects to the Board in five years, four of which were in fragile states. She successfully task-managed the Uganda Support to Health Sector Strategic Plan Project II project which won the "Best contributor to health sector" award in Uganda in 2014. She was also responsible for formulating the Bank's Country Assistance Strategies for the health and social sector, and conducting a country level situational analysis of the health system and financing constraints. In 2014, she was temporarily seconded to the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response to serve as an advisor to the Chief of Staff in Accra, Ghana.
Prior to joining the African Development Bank, Dr Jehu-Appiah worked as Deputy Director Policy, Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Ghana Health Service between 2006 and 2011. As Deputy Director, she led and coordinated policy development in the Ghana Health Service, and the Ministry of Health in the preparation of National Health Policies, and the Five-year and Annual Programs of Work. These documents were instrumental in raising financing for the health sector and enabled the scaling up of essential health interventions. Caroline was a member of the team that designed Ghana's innovative Community Health Planning Services Flagship program which delivered healthcare to the door step of the communities, resulting in 20% reduction in maternal mortality and 50% increase in immunization coverage over two years. This initiative won three out of four Presidential Awards for Public Health Service Delivery in Ghana. She was a member of the core team to initiate health care financing reforms and contributed to the design and establishment of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme, which greatly improved access to health care services and achieved a coverage of 40% within six years.
She started her career as a General Medical Practitioner at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra Ghana in 1990 before joining the Ghana Health Service as Health Economist and Policy Analyst in 2004. She has published extensively in the areas of health insurance, equity analysis, impact evaluation and poverty in several international peer-review journals.
Dr Jehu-Appiah holds a PhD in Health Economics and Health Care Financing and Impact Evaluation from the University of Radboud, Nijmegen, Netherlands, a Master of Science Degree in Health Economics from the University of York, United Kingdom and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Peoples Friendship University, Moscow, Russia.
