Douala, Cameroon, 27 September 2023 — IFC has appointed Charlotte Ndaw Sako as its country manager for the Central Africa region. In her new role, Ms. Ndaw Sako will lead IFC's strategy and operations to spur private sector development and drive sustainable, inclusive economic growth across Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Ms. Ndaw Sako, who will be based in Douala, Cameroon, will work closely with the World Bank, development partners, and public and private sector partners to lead efforts to grow IFC's investment and advisory programs in the region and support and create jobs across the countries' agribusiness, financial, green energy, and infrastructure sectors.

A Senegalese national, Ms. Ndaw Sako brings over 20 years of private sector development experience to her new role. She most recently served as Senior Country Officer for IFC's Côte d'Ivoire cluster, based in Abidjan, where she helped develop a strong pipeline of projects across several sectors, helping grow IFC's impact in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Niger.

"I welcome Charlotte to this important role, and I'm confident her technical skills and leadership will help IFC grow its work and impact in the region. I look forward to working with her to help bring greater opportunity and support sustainable economic development in this cluster of countries with significant growth potential," said Dahlia Khalifa, IFC's Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa.

"Increased private sector investment is critical to help countries in Central Africa diversify their economies and better harness their immense potentials," said Ms. Ndaw Sako. "I'm excited to take up my new role, working with partners in Central Africa, and increasing IFC's support for greener and more sustainable growth in the region through private sector-led solutions."

Before joining IFC, Ms. Ndaw Sako worked as regional advisor for the fight against economic and financial crimes at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) based in Dakar, Senegal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Montreal, Canada, and a master's in economics from Long Island University, New-York.

IFC's focus in Central Africa includes supporting agribusiness value chains, helping to bridge infrastructure gaps, supporting clean energy, boosting manufacturing, and providing financing to micro and smaller businesses.