Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, has appointed Jean Guy Afrika as the new Director General of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Jean Guy Afrika has worked for 14 years at the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Originally from Rwanda, Jean Guy Afrika holds a master’s degree in international commerce and policy from George Mason University. He has completed executive training programs in commerce, leadership, and negotiations at the Harvard Kennedy School, the University of Oxford, and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

In December 2021, he was appointed Acting Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at AfDB. Previously, he served as the head of the Regional Integration Coordination Office within the AfDB. Jean Guy Afrika has extensive experience in public policy, regional integration, infrastructure financing, and project management.

Since joining the Bank in 2010, Mr. Afrika has assumed several roles and responsibilities within the departments of agriculture and rural infrastructure, regional integration, and NEPAD trade. During this period, he has been involved in the design, evaluation, or implementation of more than 35 projects. These projects encompass areas such as trade optimization, transportation, energy, agriculture, and private-sector development. The new Director General replaces Francis Gatare, who was promoted to Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic last December.