Dr. Ghada Ahmed (Ivory Coast)

Ghada is an international development expert with focus on Africa. She had joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2007 as a Young Professional and acquired hands-on experience on all aspects of project development and management of Sovereign and Non-Sovereign operations, trust fund development and guidelines. She had also contributed extensively to the Bank’s frameworks to developing and implementing country procurement and institutional capacity and reforms. She was Secretary to AfDB Board's Committee on Operations and Development Effectiveness of the AfDB. Ghada has MENA experience; as a PPP expert, She advised the Government of Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the development of private sector partnerships in various sectors. She is currently a Principal Industrial and Trade Program Coordinator at the Industry and Trade Department of the AfDB and advises on country structural transformation through industrialization. Passionate about women empowerment, Ghada is researching and writing a book on Sudanese Incarcerated Women. She holds a BSc. in Architecture Engineering from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, an MSc. and a PhD. in Construction Management from the University of Reading, UK and an Master In Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She is a Edward S. Mason Fellow and a recipient of several scholarships from Harvard including the first woman recipient of Middle East Initiative Scholarship for emerging Arab women leaders in 2013.