Burkinabe Seybou Bouda was appointed executive director for 23 African nations at the World Bank for a two-year term, a source close to the institution revealed on Oct. 9, 2016. He will officially take office on November 1, 2016.

It is the first time in the history of the World Bank that Burkina Faso gets a seat at the board of administration. Economist and diplomat by training, Mr. Bouda served as alternate executive director for the World Bank for three years (2014-2016). Before coming to the institution, he was Burkina Faso’s Ambassador to the U.S.A. between 2011 and 2014. In his country, he successively served as minister of Economy and Development (2002-2007), minister of the Public Function and State Reform (2007-2008), and minister of Health (2008-2011).

With his new position, he will represent Burkina Faso and 22 other African nations (Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Chad and Togo) at the World Bank’s board.

Alain Okpeitcha