Zarau Wendeline Kibwe, a Tanzanian national, was recently appointed as the Executive Director for the Africa Group 1 (AfG1) Constituency at the World Bank Group.
The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the World Bank’s Africa Region 1, held in Washington DC in October 2024.
Representing a diverse group of 23 countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zambia, Kibwe brings over 15 years of experience in economic development and policy to this pivotal role.
Before this appointment, Kibwe served as an Alternate Executive Director for the same constituency from 2022 to 2024, and as Advisor and Senior Advisor from 2017.
His extensive career includes roles as the World Bank Country Economist for Tanzania and significant positions within the President’s Office—Planning Commission, the Tanzania Revenue Authority, and various higher learning institutions in Tanzania.
Kibwe holds a Ph.D. in Development Economics, an MA in Development Economics, and a Master of Public Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, Japan, along with a BSc in Economics from Mzumbe University in Morogoro, Tanzania.
His research interests focus on development macroeconomics, and he continues to play a key role in shaping policy and development strategies across Africa.
This is the first time in over five decades, that a Tanzanian has been appointed to this prestigious position, which oversees a vast region of 22 African countries, including Tanzania itself.
