MONROVIA – As Liberia’s economic resurgence and cordial relationship with her international development partners continue to gain traction, the World Bank Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, arrived in Liberia last evening, February 14, 2023, on a two-day official visit which forms part of his official tour of West and Central Africa.
Being his maiden trip to Liberia since assuming his current position in July 2020, Mr. Diagana will hold high level talks on a wide range of development issues with President George Manneh Weah and senior government officials. According to government sources, while in the country, Mr. Diagana will inspect an ongoing road rehabilitation work on the 6.1 km road linking S.D. Cooper Road to Coca Cola Factory Road, including ELWA and Red-Light Junctions funded by the World Bank through Liberia Road Asset Management Project (LIBRAMP).
According to information released by the Director of Cabinet, Jordan Solunteh, today, February 15, 2023, President Weah and the Mr. Diagana will participate in a tour of development site in Paynesville Redlight at 10:30 am, and later on in the afternoon, the President will host a Presidential lunch for his august guest at the Executive Mansion.
The release further stated that President Weah and WB Vice President will have a closed-door meeting at the Executive Mansion beginning at 2 pm, which will be followed by an interactive meeting with the President, to be attended by the Ministers of Mines and Energy, Public Works, Justice, Transportation, Agriculture, Health, Education, Commerce and Industries and management of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
The last activity of the day will be a dinner in honor of the visiting WB top official, to be jointly hosted by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Ambassador Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex at 7:30 PM, to be attended by the Cabinet who are expected to be seated by 7:15 PM.
Ousmane Diagana, a Mauritanian national, is the Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa as of July 1, 2020. In this position, Mr. Diagana leads relations with 22 countries, and oversees a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth more than $40 billion. He joined the World Bank in 1992 and has degrees in economics, finance, and planning, as well as a certificate in education policies and analysis. He speaks French, English, Arabic, Soninke, Fulani, and Wolof.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Diagana was the Vice President of the World Bank Group Human Resources, where he provided overall strategic leadership on human resource matters to the entire World Bank Group and oversaw the development and implementation of the World Bank Group People Strategy, and Human Resources policies, programs and services.
He served as Vice President for Ethics and Business Conduct (EBC) and Chief Ethics Officer of the World Bank Group from October 2015 to January 2018.
Previously, he was World Bank Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Guinea, and Togo, based in Abidjan and prior to that he held the position of Country Director for Mali, Niger, Chad, and Guinea, based in Bamako.
Between 2006 and 2009, Mr. Diagana was Country Manager in Niger, and from 2004 to 2006, he was Program Leader in Morocco. In these capacities, he effectively led diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to deliver innovative strategies and operations —including in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In 2009, Mr. Diagana received the Good Manager Award from the World Bank Group Staff Association in recognition of his leadership skills.
It can be recalled, Liberia joined the World Bank Group on March 28, 1962 and since then the Bank has been one of Liberia’s key development partners, supporting major investments in health, education, energy, agriculture, fisheries and transport. The World Bank’s affiliate, IFC, has also been a key supporter of various private sector activities. Total current World Bank portfolio for Liberia stands at $1.3 billion, covering 22 national projects ($912 million) and four regional projects worth $402 million. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Comments are closed.