transformative development of African economies, improving decision-making and strategic, long-term thinking.
The Network promotes
Pillar 1
Connecting chief economic advisors to a network of peers
The program has established a regional network of Chief economic advisors to Presidents and Prime Ministers. Network activities are demand driven and include initiatives to convene the network both physically and virtually. Each country is represented by its chief economic advisor at the head of the executive. The chief economic advisor attends the Annual Forum and various network events and webinars spread throughout the year, building trust and familiarity. Several former chief economic advisors are also members of the CEoG network, providing support and perspective to current advisors.
The Network
Economic Advisors and units play a critical role in economic planning and providing policy options to heads of government. Their expertise and advice can determine the most important policy decisions, and therefore improve the economic lives of citizens.
To support this role, the CEoG Network has become an indispensable peer-learning platform for Chief Economic Advisors coming from over 40 Sub-Saharan African countries. CEoG facilitates exchanges and provides on-demand support to individual economic advisory units. Through this platform and the knowledge offered, CEoG promotes the transformative development of African economies, improving decision-making and strategic, long-term thinking.
CEoG also facilitates knowledge-sharing among government Chief Economic Advisors, including the sharing of successful policy choices and development models. This is further supported by allowing cross-border cooperation and coordination among Chief Economic Advisors and their units. At the heart of this initiative is the importance of a strong, concerted and legitimate economic policy making in Africa.
Prof. Stefan Dercon is the Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies and Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at the University of Oxford. Between 2011 and 2017, Stefan Dercon served for six years as Chief Economist at the Department for International Development (DFID), the UK government department in charge of international development efforts. His research interests concern the failures of and ways to improve markets, governments and politics mainly in Africa.
Stefan
Dercon
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop served as Special Economic Adviser to the Government of Malaysia from 2000 to 2003. He became Malaysia’s Minister of Finance in 2004 and was subsequently appointed Minister of Economic Planning from 2009 to 2013. Tan Sri Nor served as Deputy Chairman of the Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the Government of Malaysia’s strategic investment arm.
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Dr. Andrew Dabalen has been the World Bank’s Africa Chief Economist since July 2022 and the Chair of the Chief Economists of Government (CEoG) Network. He was previously Lead Economist and Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in Africa and Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in the South Asia Region. His research focuses on poverty and social impact analysis, inequality of opportunity and labor markets. A Kenyan national, Dabalen holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California.
Andrew
Dabalen
Dr. Albert G. Zeufack, a Cameroonian national, is currently the World Bank’s country director for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Burundi and Sao Tome and Principe. He is the former World Bank’s Chief Economist for Africa. Prior to these appointments, he was Practice Manager in the Macroeconomics and Fiscal Management Global Practice and leader of the World Bank-wide Community of Practice for the Management of Natural Resources Rents.
Albert G.
Zeufack
Trudi Makhaya is the former economic advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa from 2018 to 2023. From 2003 to 2010 she worked at Deloitte, Genesis Analytics and AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa. Between 2010 to 2014, Trudi was an economist and a member of the executive committee at the Competition Commission of South Africa. In 2015, she founded an advisory firm focused on competition policy and entrepreneurship. She holds an MBA and an MSc in Development Economics from Oxford University.
Trudi Makhaya
Mohamed Doumbouya is the former chief economic advisor to the former President of Guinea. He has been leading the CEoG book project on Financing African Economies from Within, since the start of this effort. He is an economist and expert in economic development, banking and monetary policy. As former Minister Counsellor to the former President of Guinea, Dr. Doumbouya oversaw establishing clear financial reform expectations in public financial management and the monitoring progress in these areas. Prior to joining the Guinean administration, Dr. Doumbouya taught Economics at the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Mohamed
Doumbouya
Interested in getting involved? Contact the CEoG Secretariat!
Arkebe Oqubay is a former mayor of Addis Ababa. He holds the British Academy Global Professor position at SOAS University of London, leading pioneering research on the greening of Africa’s economic development. He is a former Senior Minister and Special Advisor to three successive Prime Ministers of Ethiopia. Arkebe is recognized internationally for successfully leading bold reforms and playing a key role in Ethiopia’s economic transformation at different levels of government by championing the country’s pioneering industrial development model, which is being replicated across many African countries.
Arkebe Oqubay
