AfDB director general Tonia Kandiero dies
Newly appointed African Development Bank (AfDB) director general for the Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office Tonia Kandiero has died.
Kandiero, a Malawian national died in South Africa on Wednesday. Confirming the development, one of her close relatives Caroline Kandiero said the body will be repatriated to Malawi for burial in NKhotakota.
“As of now the family is waiting to hear from her office on repatriation arrangement. But some relatives have already left for South Africa, we will have all the details by tomorrow (Friday),” she said.
She further said here in Malawi funeral vigil is in Chigumula-Blantyre.
Born on June 22, 1969, Kandiero rose to the top position in November 2016.She was then AfDB resident representative for Tanzania responsible for managing one of the largest African Development Fund (ADF) beneficiaries with a portfolio of $2 billion.
According to AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina is quoted in the media saying, Kandiero had successfully grown and managed the bank’s operations in Tanzania, where she was overseeing the bank’s largest operations under the AfDB.
Adesina said Kandiero had vast experience in regional trade, macroeconomics, policy and operations of the bank and deep knowledge of the region.
An academic and researcher, Kandiero joined the AfDB in 2007 as a senior research economist and later served as a principal research economist from 2007 to 2009, in the office of the chief economist of the bank.
She also worked across Southern Africa and had experience from government, academia and international financial institutions.
