International Finance Corporation appoints country manager
The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) has named Amena Arif as its Malawi country manager.
A statement published by the IFC Office in Nairobi indicates that Arif will also be responsible for East African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia.
She is expected to help IFC strengthen the private sector, create jobs and opportunities and help businesses and economies in the region recover from the effects of Covid.
In an interview Arif said she is excited to take up the new position and looks forward to working in such a dynamic region.
“Malawi and East Africa’s private sector has proven to be resilient, including through the Covid crisis, but it can be an even more powerful engine of growth going forward, delivering equitable and sustainable growth,” Arif said.
IFC’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu said Arif’s combination of skills and experience will prove invaluable in a region that has made excellent progress strengthening its private sector.
The Pakistan national joined IFC in 2012 after building a career in commercial banking.
She led IFC’s debt and equity investment transactions, working with financial institutions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
Most recently, Arif served as IFC’s Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, based in Colombo, where she helped grow IFC’s portfolio and deepen its impact.
In 2008 the IFC provided $5 million in a long-term debt financing arrangement to Bakhresa Grain Milling Malawi to allow it strengthen its balance sheet and reduce refinancing risks.
