The African Development Bank (AfDB) has appointed Dr Tonia Kandiero as director-general of its Southern Africa regional development and business delivery office, effective December 1.

The office forms part of the AfDB’s new business approach to accelerate its business and development impacts across the continent.

A Malawian national, Kandiero has worked across Southern Africa and brings experience in government, academia and international financial institutions. She is currently the AfDB’s resident representative for Tanzania, responsible for managing one of the largest beneficiaries, with a portfolio of $2-billion.

During her tenure, the Tanzania portfolio has strengthened, making it increasingly relevant to the country. She has also focused on strengthening portfolio management across sectors, including transport, energy, water, agriculture, education and health and under her leadership engagement with the private sector has been deepened. 

An academic and researcher by training, Kandiero joined the AfDB in 2007 as a senior research economist, and later served as principal research economist from 2007 to 2009, in the office of the chief economist of the bank.

She subsequently worked as lead macroeconomist from 2009 to 2011, with a focus on supporting the development and implementation of the first regional integration strategy paper of the bank, as well as macroeconomic and sector work in trade and regional integration.

Before joining the bank, she worked at South Africa’s National Treasury, first as trade and macroeconomic policy director, and later as the director for global development policy and international economics.

At South Africa’s Treasury department, she analysed trade issues at national, regional and multilateral levels and managed South Africa’s relationships with international financial institutions.

AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina said Kandiero’s experience in regional trade, macroeconomics, policy and operations of the bank, and deep knowledge of the region, would be “very helpful” as the bank rolled out its new development and business delivery model for accelerating its operations in the region.

Meanwhile, Adesina also appointed four other director-generals in the bank’s regional development and business delivery offices on the continent, namely Janvier Litse for West Africa; Ousmane Dore for Central Africa; Gabriel Negatu for East Africa; and Mohamed El Azizi for North Africa.

He also appointed Ebrima Faal director of the bank’s Nigeria country office.