Sudanese Abdallah Hamdok appointed Acting Executive Secretary of ECA

The deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Dr. Abdallah Hamdok, has been appointed the Acting Executive Secretary following the vacation of the position by Dr. Carlos Lopes.

The ECA in a press release issued in Addis Ababa and copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, says Hamdok’s appointment comes into effect November 1, 2016.

Lopes, a national of Guinea-Bissau stepped down on October 31 after serving in the position for four years. He worked with the United Nations for 28 years.

According to the release, Hamdok has more than 30 years experience in the areas of public sector reforms, governance, regional integration and resource management. He has headed major portfolios, addressing diverse development challenges of the African policy landscape.

It also indicated that he has served as Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist of the ECA since 2011 prior to which, he headed ECA’s portfolios of activities on development policy management, NEPAD and regional integration, and governance and public administration.

From 2003-2008, he served the International IDEA as its Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East.

Earlier in his career he had worked and moved progressively into key senior positions in the Public and Private Sector. He held the positions of Chief Technical Advisor (1995-1997) at the International Labour Organization, Zimbabwe; Principal Policy Economist (1997-2001) at the African Development Bank, Cote d’Ivoire; Head of the Public Sector Group and Member of the management committee (1993-1995) at Deloitte & Touche Management Consultants, Zimbabwe; and Senior Official (1981-1987) at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of Sudan.

Hamdok holds a PhD and MA in Economics from the School of Economic Studies, University of Manchester, UK and a BSc. (honours) from the University of Khartoum, Sudan.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi