Effective 1 October 2024, Mariama Cire Sylla becomes the World Bank Group (WBG)’s joint resident representative for Namibia. This new position provides a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of the WBG products and services, and is expected to enhance the global institution’s ability to address challenges and drive development with speed, efficiency and impact. 

The WBG is one of the largest sources of funding for developing countries. 

A Guinea national, Sylla brings to her new role more than 18 years of experience in trade, commercial strategy, private sector development and finance across Africa, Europe and the United States. 

Since joining the Group in 2014, she has led several programmes and initiatives, aimed at fostering private sector development and job creation in Africa.

She previously served as the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s country head for Burundi, where she oversaw the institution’s programme and operations. 

Prior to that, she served as IFC’s coordinator for fragile and conflict-affected states in the Sahel and West Africa regions.

“Namibia is a country brimming with potential, and offers excellent development opportunities across sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy and housing,” she said. 

“I look forward to working with partners in the country and implementing the new, unified WBG approach, which will enable us to support impactful projects for the people of Namibia in an integrated, holistic manner.”

In Namibia, the WBG works with public and private sector partners to improve the government’s capacity to design and implement policy in strategic areas, increase the private sector’s ability to generate jobs and income, and position Namibia’s economic growth on a greener, more resilient and inclusive trajectory. 

Sylla holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Oxford (UK), a master’s degree in economic policy from Williams College (US) and a master’s degree in economics and business administration from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne (France). 

She is the co-author of ‘Better Led, Served and Governed World – Envisioning the Future’, a book that was published in 2014.     

WBG stated that the introduction of joint country representation is an important step towards building a stronger WBG. Namibia is one of 21 WBG offices transitioning to a single WBG country manager or resident representative for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Development Association, IFC and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.

The WBG’s vision is to create a world free of poverty on a liveable planet. In more than 100 countries, the WBG provides financing, advice and innovative solutions to improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth and confronting the most urgent global development challenges.