PRESENTING AUTHOR
Richard Dowden
Director, Royal African Society
Mr. Dowden is Director of the Royal African Society. He first went
to Africa as a teacher in 1971, and then as a journalist in 1983,
working for The Times. In 1986, he became Africa Editor of The
Independent, and in 1995 took up the post of Africa Editor for The
Economist. He has also made three television documentaries on
Africa, for the BBC, and Channel 4.
CHAIR
Obiageli Ezekwesili
Vice President, Africa Region, World Bank
Ms. Ezekwesili, a Nigerian national, joined the World Bank in 2007
and is leading the institution's Africa operations, which lend about
$4.7 billion a year to the continent. Prior to her current
position, she was Minister of Education within the Government of
Nigeria. Ms. Ezekwesili began her career as an auditor and
management consultant. She was one of the founding members of
Transparency International. Ms. Ezekwesili subsequently served as
Minister of Solid Minerals Development. She has also served as the
Chairperson for the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative since 2004 and pioneered the voluntary sign-on of Nigeria
to the EITI Principles, as well as the first ever audit of the oil
and gas sector.
DISCUSSANT
Bernadette Paolo
President and CEO, The Africa Society of the National Summit on
Africa
Ms. Paolo was named President and CEO of The Africa Society in 2006.
Ms. Paolo has more than 25 years of experience in international
affairs, including an extensive career of 12 years in the U.S.
Congress. Prior to assuming this position, she served as Vice
President of the Africa Society as well as Vice President of the
National Summit on Africa. Ms. Paolo also worked as an international
consultant with a private law practice in Washington, DC. She is a
member of the District of Columbia Bar and the West Virginia Bar.
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