Moono Mupotola is appointed as Deputy Director General of the Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Office by the African Development Bank Group, effective October 16, 2024.
Mupotola, a Zambian national, brings over 25 years of development experience from Africa to her new position. Her experience includes infrastructure development, trade, and regional integration. She began serving as the Bank’s Country Manager for Zimbabwe in December 2020, where she played a critical role in the country’s re-engagement with the international community and the resolution of outstanding debt and arrears commitments.
Mupotola’s Tenure at the African Development Bank
In 2009, Mupotola started working for the African Development Bank as the Regional Integration and Trade Division Manager. She was appointed Director of Regional Integration and Trade and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2015 then later appointed Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office in 2018.
She showed her dedication to promoting regional integration by supervising the Lusophone Compact, a program that aids the private sector in six African nations that speak Portuguese by also starting a number of important initiatives, such as the Visa Openness Index, the Bank’s Africa Trade Fund, and the Regional Integration Index, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Mupotola was in charge of the Bank’s regional project preparation facility and the African Development Fund’s Regional Operations Envelope. By assisting with research, infrastructure projects, capacity-building initiatives, and the change of laws and policies in regional member nations, she oversaw the Bank’s trade and regional integration strategy.
A Journey of Growth
Prior to joining the African Development Bank Group, Mupotola worked as the Division Head of Trade and Marketing at the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, the Regional Policy Specialist for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Zimbabwe, and the Trade Specialist at the Southern African Development Community Trade Hub in Botswana and Zimbabwe. At Zambia National Commercial Bank, she worked as a banker and as a researcher at the Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit.
Mupotola holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bennington College, Vermont, and an MPhil in Development and Sociology from Cambridge University, UK.
In response to her appointment, she stated, “I am extremely honored to have this chance and grateful to President Adesina for believing in me. The position of Deputy Director General for the Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Office is both difficult and exciting. I am excited to collaborate effectively with our teams and stakeholders to deliver on the Bank’s vision and High 5 priorities for sustainable development.
President of the African Development Bank Group, Highlights Mupotola’s Leadership and Experience
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, stated, “I am delighted to appoint Mrs. Moono Mupotola as Deputy Director General of the Southern Africa Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery Office.” She has extensive experience in regional operations, having previously worked as Director of Regional Operations.
Moono has shown remarkable leadership, diplomatic savvy, and strong execution capacity in collaboration with the Zimbabwean government and all development partners to advance organized talks for Zimbabwe’s arrears clearance, as well as important reforms.
Her incisive leadership, expertise, and in-depth knowledge of Southern African countries will considerably boost the African Development Bank Group’s operations and collaborations in the region.”The post African Development Bank Appoints New Deputy Director General first appeared on IT News Africa | Business Technology, Telecoms and Startup News.