AfDB appoints new DGs, deputy DGs across Africa

7th January 2021 By: Donna Slater - Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has appointed new directors-general (DGs) for the East, Central and Southern Africa regions and deputy DGs for the East, Central, Northern, Southern and West Africa regions.

The Central Africa region’s new DG is Serge N’Guessan. He will drive and ensure the operational efficiency, effectiveness and overall health of the bank’s portfolio across the Central Africa region. He will also spearhead regional business development and investment, driving resource mobilisation across the countries under his remit and growing the business of the bank. 

N’Guessan, a Canadian citizen, is a professional with over 30 years of experience in international development and portfolio management, who has held important representation roles within the AfDB for almost ten years. He has been the deputy DG for West Africa since September 2018.

The East Africa region’s new DG is Nnenna Nwabufo. She will be responsible for leading and advancing the bank group’s strategic objective of achieving significant and transformational developmental impact in thirteen countries in East Africa by ensuring operational efficiency, effectiveness and an overall healthy portfolio in the region.

A Nigerian citizen, Nnenna is a versatile and seasoned executive with over 30 years’ professional experience in treasury and financial management, budget programming, planning and performance management, human resource and corporate services management, and country/regional operations.

The Southern Africa region’s new DG is Leïla Mokadem. She will drive high-level dialogue and the AfDB’s operations, ensuring the bank operates efficiently, effectively and successfully in the relevant countries within the region.

She will lead and monitor adaptation to specific requirements of individual countries/operations with greater efficiency, cost effectiveness and value addition in the use of resources, with downstream gains for regional member countries, and the private sector in the Southern Africa region.

Mokadem, a Tunisian national, is a seasoned professional in international finance. She has over 25 years of experience with multilateral development banks and international institutions.

The Central Africa region’s new deputy DG is Dr Solomane Koné. He is a national of Côte d’Ivoire and has been acting DG for the Central Africa region since January 2020, as well as country manager for the AfDB’s office in Cameroon.

The East Africa region’s new deputy DG is Dr Abdul Kamara. He is a citizen of Sierra Leone and is currently the AfDB group’s country manager for Ethiopia.

Kamara is a development economist with over two decades of experience in development policy research, development financing and policy work on Africa’s economic transformation and development.

The North Africa region's new deputy DG is Malinne Blomberg. She is a Swedish citizen and a seasoned finance professional with solid experience in developing strategies, providing advisory services, and executing operations for results in both the public and private sectors. 

The Southern Africa region’s new deputy DG is Kennedy Mbekeani. He is a Malawian citizen and a seasoned development economist with over 20 years of senior level country and regional experience in development finance, project management, policy advisory services, and knowledge generation.

Mbekeani joined the AfDB in 2009 as chief trade and regional integration officer.

The West Africa region’s new deputy DG is Dr Joseph Ribeiro. A Cape Verdean national, he is currently manager of the AfDB group for the Angola country office, which also covers Sao Tome and Principe.

Ribeiro is an experienced international development practitioner with in-depth knowledge of the key issues of decentralisation, privatisation and public-private partnerships.