The World Bank has announced Dr. Ndiamé Diop as the new Country Director for Nigeria, succeeding Shubham Chaudhuri, who has completed his term. Dr. Diop officially assumed his position today.
Prior to his appointment in Abuja, Dr. Diop served as the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, based in Manila. During his tenure there, he significantly increased the Bank’s financing to the Philippines, supporting key economic reforms and initiatives aimed at reducing disparities in nutrition, healthcare, education, agriculture, and digital connectivity.
In Malaysia, Dr. Diop oversaw a substantial knowledge program funded by Malaysia, designed to help the country achieve high-income status through advanced economic analyses and technical assistance. Additionally, he successfully re-engaged the Thai government in World Bank investment lending after a two-decade hiatus.
Expressing his enthusiasm for his new role, Dr. Diop stated, “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. I look forward to deepening our partnership with the Government of Nigeria at the federal and state level by ensuring quality technical and financial support which will help accelerate progress for Nigeria’s development priorities. Nigeria is a dynamic and vibrant country which is significant for the entire sub-region. The World Bank Group is most 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 capacity, Dr. Diop will lead the World Bank’s team in Nigeria, focusing on policy dialogue and partnerships with the government and key stakeholders. He will also oversee the delivery and implementation of both lending and non-lending support to Nigeria.
Dr. Diop brings extensive experience to the role, having held several leadership positions within the World Bank. These include Head of the Macroeconomics, Trade, and Investment unit for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Lead Economist for Indonesia, and various roles in the Middle East and North Africa. He also served as the Bank’s Resident Representative for Tunisia from 2007 to 2010. Dr. Diop began his career at the World Bank in Washington DC in 2000 as a Young Professional.
As a distinguished economist, Dr. Diop has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and books on topics such as fiscal policy, monetary policy, economic growth, resilience to capital inflow shocks, natural resource management, and economic diversification.
