Nairobi — The World Bank has announced Mr. Hideki Matsunaga as the Country Manager for Somalia. He will oversee the design and implementation of the Somalia portfolio totaling $2.63 billion.

Mr. Matsunaga, a Japanese national, brings several decades of extensive experience in operations, strategy, policy development, research and analytics, and program management gained through his work at the World Bank and other international development institutions.

Prior to this appointment, he served as the Chief Representative for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) based in Ukraine. He previously worked as the Advisor in the World Bank' s Chief Economist's Office in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. Mr. Matsunaga has also held various senior positions across JICA, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Japan Platform, and UNDP serving as Director, Resident Representative, Team Leader, and Senior Advisor based in Tokyo, Cairo, and Amman.

His appointment is effective July 1, 2025, and he will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Contacts:

In Nairobi: Vera Rosauer, vrosauer@worldbank.org

In Washington: Daniella van Leggelo-Padilla, dvanleggelo@worldbank.org