Nelson Muffuh, Resident Coordinator, United Nations in South Africa

Mr Nelson Muffuh is the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in South Africa. He assumed office in December 2022 following his appointment by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Before this role, Mr. Muffuh served as the Chief of Staff, Head of Office, and Principal Strategic Adviser to UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. As a strategic coordinator and policy adviser, Mr. Muffuh played a key role in guiding the UN's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, organizing summits on Financing for Development and Climate Action. He also coordinated the Global Crisis Group's efforts on the UN's response to the war in Ukraine and the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout his UN career at regional and country levels and at the UN Secretariat, he gained extensive experience in program coordination, management, partnerships, communications, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and mobilization.  

Diego Masera, UNIDO Representative for Southern Africa 

Diego Masera, serves as the UNIDO Representative for Southern Africa. He previously held the roles of Deputy Director of the Department of Programmes, Partnerships and Field Integration, and Chief of the Latin America and the Caribbean Division at UNIDO. Earlier in his career, Diego was the Chief of the Renewable Energy Division at UNIDO, managing a global portfolio of renewable technology projects. His innovative contributions were pivotal in the conceptualization and development of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative, which laid the foundation for SDG7. As the Regional Technical Advisor on Energy and Climate Change for Latin America and the Caribbean at UNDP, Diego played a key role in introducing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies in several countries in the region. His career also includes significant work in SME development in Africa, where he held various positions with international organizations based in Kenya. 

Alejandro Lavopa, Research and Industrial Policy Officer, UNIDO

Alejandro Lavopa is Research and Industrial Policy Officer at the Directorate of Strategic Planning, Programming and Policy of UNIDO. He coordinates the production of UNIDO’s flagship publication, the Industrial Development Report, and is responsible for providing policy advice on issues related to industrialization, social inclusion and technology upgrading. He obtained his PhD in Economics and Policy Studies of Technical Change at UNU-MERIT. Before joining UNIDO, Alejandro worked at the Ministry of Economy of Argentina and the University of Buenos Aires. Recent publications include articles in journals, such as World Development and Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, and chapter contributions to key reference books. 

Fiona Tregenna, Head of the South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, and Professor at the University of Johannesburg 

Fiona Tregenna holds the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, heading this center of research, capacity-building, and public and policy engagement. She is also a Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg. Fiona holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge. She has published widely in leading journals, received awards and grants for her research, led large research projects, co-edited several books, and serves on the editorial boards of various international journals and book series. Fiona has been involved in economic policy issues for close to 30 years, serving on many panels and councils. She has advised international organisations such as UNIDO, UNCTAD, the United Nations University and the ILO, and has contributed to a number of flagship United Nations reports. At SOAS, she is a Professorial Research Associate affiliated with the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation, and a Fellow of the Development Leadership Dialogue.  

Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Special Advisor to the AfDB President on Industrialization 

Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, a Development Economist, is a global thought leader and currently Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He is a member of the Advisory Council on Industrialization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and a winner of the National Productivity Order of Merit. He served within the United Nations (UN) system for 20 years including as Director, UN-HABITAT, Senior Economic Adviser, UN Centre on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva and Professorial Fellow, United Nations University, Maastricht. He has earned global acclaim for his pioneering work in the field of Industrialization as the first Nigerian professor in the field of Development Economics and Industrial Policy. He has published over twenty books in the field of Development Economics. Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka holds a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Development Economics from the University of Sussex. 

Phyllis Wakiaga, Lead for Industry & Commerce, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Phyllis Wakiaga is a renowned leader in industrial policy, economic development, and private sector transformation, with over 20 years of experience shaping Africa’s economic and business landscape. As the Lead for Industry & Commerce at the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), Phyllis plays a pivotal role supporting governments in design and implementation industrial strategies, fostering business-enabling environments, and enhancing private sector engagement across TBI global network in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Middle East. She provides leaderships on Sector Development work for strategic sector like Tourism, Life Sciences, Textile and Apparel, Critical Raw Materials amongst others. Prior to joining TBI, Phyllis served as the CEO of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers where she worked from 2023-2015 and played a pivotal role in policy advocacy, manufacturing sector expansion, and private sector engagement across Africa. Phyllis has also served on multiple boards across finance, energy, policy, and sustainability sectors.  

Emmanuel Owusu-Sekyere, Director of Research Policy and Programs of the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)

Emmanuel Owusu-Sekyere is the Director of Research, Policy, and Programs at the African Centre for Economic Transformation, a pan-African think and do tank based in Ghana. He has worked in private sector, public sector, academia, and research in various capacities.  He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria and a Master’s degree in Economic Management and Policy from the University of Strathclyde. His areas of research interest and expertise include inclusive growth and sustainable development, financial inclusion, econometric analysis of data, migration and development, youth development and skills, poverty and inequality, infrastructure development, Africa’s industrialisation, remittances to sub-Saharan Africa, African integration, and climate change. Emmanuel´s key interest is how to apply his multidimensional research toolkit to real life policy challenges to create solutions that enhance human wellbeing. He also serves as a member of several professional groups and reviews for a number of peer reviewed journals.  

Pamela Mondliwa, Head of Research and Information, Industrial Development Corporation

Pamela Mondliwa is the Head of Research and Information and Acting Head of Industry Planning at the IDC, with expertise in industrial development, economic regulation, and competition policy. She has held key roles in government, academia, and consultancy, including as a Special Advisor in the Ministry of Finance.  She has published widely on economic policy and industrial development.