President Paul Kagame has appointed Jean-Guy Afrika as the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The announcement was made on Monday, January 13, 2025, by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Jean-Guy Afrika succeeds Francis Gatare, who was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Presidency on December 20, 2024.

Afrika brings a wealth of experience in public policy, regional integration, infrastructure finance, and project management.

Since December 16, 2021, he has served as Acting Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

A Rwandan national, Afrika holds a Master of Arts degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University.

He has also completed executive programs in trade, leadership, and negotiations at the Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford University, and the Graduate Institute of Geneva.

According to the African Development Bank Group, Afrika has been a key figure at the institution since 2010.

During his tenure, he has held various roles in the Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure Department, the NEPAD Regional Integration and Trade Department, and the Industrialization and Trade Development Department.

Over the years, Afrika has significantly contributed to the design, appraisal, and implementation of more than 35 projects across sectors including trade facilitation, transport, energy, agriculture, and private sector development.

He also played a leading role in developing flagship regional integration initiatives such as the Africa Regional Integration Index and the Africa Visa Openness Index, in collaboration with the African Union.

Prior to joining the African Development Bank, Afrika held prominent roles in other institutions.

He served as a Senior Policy Expert with the East African Community and as the Director of Export Promotion at the Rwanda Investment & Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA).