The NGO Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has a new Director for Africa. Her name is Nafi Chinery. This is a promotion for the person who “will be responsible for our strategy in Africa, country teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and stakeholder relations to promote good governance of natural resources and a just energy transition,” according to a statement published by the NGO on 27 March 2023.
“We are delighted to appoint Nafi as our new Africa Director,” said Suneeta Kaimal, NRGI’s President and CEO. “Since joining NRGI in 2017, Nafi has been a strategic leader, dynamic ambassador and innovative implementer. As interim Africa Director since November 2022, she has demonstrated her ambition and vision for our Africa programme. Nafi is the right leader to ensure that NRGI deepens engagements with women and vulnerable communities, and supports the strong African movement to accelerate a just energy transition and manage natural resources responsibly for the benefit of citizens.
“I am incredibly excited to take on the role of Africa Director at NRGI,” said Chinery. “This is an opportunity to work with some of the most talented and committed people in the field to help shape the future of natural resource governance across the continent and make a meaningful difference in the lives of Africans.”
At NRGI, Chinery first served as country director in Ghana, before becoming the organisation’s programme manager for English-speaking West Africa. Prior to NRGI, she worked with Oxfam GB and the African Women’s Development Fund, a pan-African grant-making foundation supporting women’s rights organisations. She is a member of the steering committee of the Ghana Open Extractive Program and the Ghana chapter of the Open Government Partnership, a member of the advisory team of PPA Watch and a board member of the Institute of Energy Securities in Ghana. She has worked for over 25 years in the civil society sector, focusing on social justice, movement building, advocacy, multi-sectoral engagement, research and analysis.
“In this new role, my vision is to prioritise transparency and accountability along the extractive sector value chain and to help shape a sustainable energy future for Africa,” added Chinery. “This means actively promoting a just and equitable transition to renewable energy across the continent. This requires constructive engagement with governments, key regional and global institutions, civil society, local communities, vulnerable populations and the private sector to promote policies and practices that enable African countries and citizens to prosper in the future. From the minerals needed to green technologies to building an economic future beyond oil, this transition is essential to address the twin challenges of climate change and energy poverty in Africa.
Summary by Elie KABORE
#Mines_Actu_Burkina
