Nardos Bekele-Thomas is the first woman to head the African Union’s development agency. She was nominated and endorsed as Director General of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) by the African Union Heads of State and Government at the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in February 2022.
The Ethiopian, Nardos Bekele-Thomas is the first woman to head the African Union’s development agency. Elected to the position in February 2022, the economist by training has influenced growth and development on the African continent for almost 40 years.
We are in a period of unusual activity and development interventions must go beyond poverty management. We need to rethink development approaches that have varied over the past 60 years. These approaches do not yet allow for transformational systems that will provide effective and sustainable solutions to Africa’s development challenges.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD Ethiopia
The 60-year-old Nardos Bekele-Thomas has pledged to support the efforts of the African Union Development Agency to ensure progress on the continent. According to her, the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS) is a platform for knowledge incubation and exchange and is in line with the main theme of the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly on building resilience in nutrition and food security on the African continent.
As CEO of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, it is my firm belief that ADS must serve as a platform for seasoned and experienced developmental practitioners who will freely exchange and incubate new paradigms and thought processes within the future of development cooperation in Africa and for Africa.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD Ethiopia
While Africa is still suffering the socio-economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not only putting a strain on the global economy, but also on the African continent. According to Nardos Bekele-Thomas, there is an urgent need to build resilient and inclusive food systems.
While Africa is still suffering the socio-economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not only putting a strain on the global economy, but also on the African continent. According to Nardos Bekele-Thomas, there is an urgent need to build resilient and inclusive food systems.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD Ethiopia
Nardos Bekele-Thomas holds a master’s degree in economic development, monetary economics and econometrics from New York University (NYU) and is recognised for her role in reforming Kenya’s constitution, the infrastructure of peace. Her work in preventive peacebuilding and conflict resolution has earned her acclaim and awards from numerous institutions.
