World Bank Appoints Diop as New Country Director for Nigeria

Samuel Mobolaji

Dr Ndiamé Diop has officially assumed his role as the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, succeeding Shubham Chaudhuri who recently completed his term.

Before his appointment to Abuja, Dr Diop served as the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, based in Manila. In this role, he significantly increased the Bank’s financing to the Philippines, supporting key economic reforms and initiatives to address disparities in nutrition, healthcare, social protection, education, agriculture, and digital connectivity.

In Malaysia, he oversaw a large-scale knowledge program funded by Malaysia, aimed at transforming the country into a high-income economy through advanced economic analyses and technical assistance. Additionally, he successfully re-engaged the Thai government to resume World Bank investment lending after a two-decade hiatus.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr Diop said: “I am most excited to be leading the World Bank’s program 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”.

He added: “I look forward to deepening our partnership with the Government of Nigeria at both the Federal and State levels by ensuring quality technical and financial support to help accelerate progress on Nigeria’s development priorities. Nigeria is a dynamic and vibrant country which is significant for the entire subregion.

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

In his new position, Dr Diop will lead the World Bank’s team in Nigeria, deepen policy dialogue, and strengthen partnerships with the government and key stakeholders. He will oversee the delivery and implementation of lending and non-lending support to Nigeria.

Dr Diop’s extensive career at the World Bank includes several leadership positions such as Head of the Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment unit for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, based in Jakarta and Bangkok, and Lead Economist for Indonesia, Jordan, and Lebanon.

He has also served as Country Economist for various countries in the Middle East and North Africa and was the Bank’s Resident Representative for Tunisia between 2007 and 2010. Dr Diop joined the World Bank in Washington DC in 2000 as a Young Professional.

As an economist, Dr Diop has published in peer-reviewed journals and books on topics including fiscal policy and growth, monetary policy and inflation, macro policies and resilience to sudden stops in capital inflows, natural resource abundance, Dutch disease, and economic diversification.

Dr Diop’s vast experience and expertise position him to effectively lead the World Bank’s efforts in Nigeria, driving initiatives that aim to foster economic growth and improve the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.