World Bank appoints Ndiamé Diop as Country Director for Nigeria

The World Bank has appointed Dr. Ndiamé Diop as the new Country Director for Nigeria, a statement by the Bank said.

The statement obtained by the newsmen said Diop assumed his new position in Abuja on Monday and succeeded Shubham Chaudhuri, who completed his term in the same capacity.

In his new position, Diop will lead the World Bank’s team in Nigeria and deepen policy dialogue and partnership with the government and key stakeholders.

The statement said he would oversee the delivery and implementation of lending and non-lending support to Nigeria.

It said that before Diop’s assignment to Abuja, he served as the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

“In this position, he more than tripled the bank’s financing to the Philippines to scale up the bank’s support for key economic reforms (policy-based budget support programmes).

“Also to support the nation’s endeavours to bridge disparities in various sectors, including nutrition, stunting, healthcare, social protection delivery, education, agriculture, and digital connectivity.

“In Malaysia, Diop supervised the delivery of a large Malaysia-funded knowledge programme aimed at helping the country become a high-income economy through cutting-edge economic analyses and technical assistance.”

The statement said he engaged the Thai government to resume World Bank investment lending after a pause of two decades.

The statement also quoted Diop as saying, “I am most excited to be leading the World Bank’s programme in Nigeria.

“Especially at this critical time when Nigeria has a significant opportunity to make progress towards improving its economy and delivering development outcomes for its citizens,.

“I look forward to deepening our partnership with the Government of Nigeria at the federal and state levels, ensuring quality technical and financial support that will help accelerate progress for Nigeria’s development priorities.”

Diop said Nigeria is a dynamic and vibrant country, which is significant for the entire subregion.

“The Bank is most committed to working with the government, development partners, and citizens to realise a thriving economy where jobs and economic prospects are created and millions of Nigerians are lifted out of poverty.”

It said Diop joined the World Bank in Washington, DC, in 2000 as a young professional.

The statement said he has held several leadership positions in the bank, which include Head of the Macroeconomics and Trade and Investment Unit for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

It said Diop was also the lead economist for Indonesia, the lead economist for Jordan and Lebanon, and the country economist for roles in the Middle East and North Africa.

The statement said, notably, that he served as the bank’s resident representative for Tunisia between 2007 and 2010.