Dr Vera Songwe currently serves as the Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), a position she has served since 4 August 2017. Following her appointment, she became the first woman to hold the post and is the highest-ranking United Nations official in Africa.

As a leading figure on Africa’s development issues, Songwe’s reforms have focused on developing and implementing “ideas for a prosperous Africa”, with critical emphasis on macroeconomic stability, innovative finance, private sector participation, the digital transformation, and trade and competitiveness in fostering growth and improving livelihoods.

Dr Songwe was awarded the African Banker Icon Award in 2022. In 2021, along with 10 African Heads of State and Government, she was honored for her leadership in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) process. She was listed as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women in 2020 (Forbes) and named as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’ in 2019 (Jeune Afrique). In 2017, she was listed as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’ (New African) and named as one of the ‘25 African to watch’ in 2015 (Financial Times).

Songwe is acknowledged for her long-standing track record of providing policy advice and her wealth of experience in delivering development results for Africa. She has written extensively on development and economic issues including on debt, infrastructure development, fiscal and governance issues. She is well published and contributes to the development debate across a broad spectrum of platforms including in the Financial Times.

Prior to ECA, she held a number of senior leadership roles with the International Finance Corporation and World Bank.