Africanshapers dedicates a special report to Portuguese-speaking Africa, this “other Africa”, which is sometimes forgotten. The African countries with an official Portuguese language (PALOP) are Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea, which in 2011 added Portuguese as a third official language, in addition to Spanish and French. Below is a list of 100 leading figures from Portuguese-speaking Africa, based in Africa or in the diaspora. They come from different sectors and contribute significantly to the development of their countries of origin or the countries where they are based.
Carlos Lopes, former UN Under-Secretary-General (Guinea Bissau)
In September 2012, Carlos Lopes became the eighth Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, with the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, after being appointed by the UN Secretary-General. Prior to that, from March 2007 to August 2012, he served as Director General of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva and Director of the United Nations System Staff College in Turin, with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General.
Prior to that, Carlos Lopes was Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of Political Affairs in the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2005 to 2007.
Carlos Lopes holds a PhD in History from the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne), as well as a Master’s degree in research from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. He was also awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences from the University of Cândido Mendes, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
After serving in the civil service of his native Guinea-Bissau in the areas of research, diplomacy and planning, Carlos Lopes joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1988 as a development economist. He has served in various capacities, including Deputy Director of the Office of Evaluation and Strategic Planning, Resident Representative in Zimbabwe, Deputy Director and Director of the Bureau for Development Policy in New York.
Carlos Lopes was a member of the UNDP Executive Team, in recognition of his role in the development of UNDP’s decentralized policy advisory services and knowledge network systems. He also managed UNDP’s $1 billion Global Programme. In June 2003, he became the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Brazil, which was then hosting the largest UNDP program in the world.
Carlos Lopes has taught at universities and academic institutions in Lisbon, Coimbra, Zurich, Uppsala, Mexico City, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. He belongs to a large number of academic networks and has contributed to the creation of non-governmental organizations and social science research institutions, particularly in Africa. He sits on several boards of directors and advisory or editorial committees.
Vera Daves, 37, Minister of Finance of Angola
Vera Esperança dos Santos Daves de Sousa, who was Secretary of State for Finance and Treasury, was appointed Minister of Finance of Angola on October 8, 2019. The first woman appointed to this position in the country’s history.
Born in Luanda, Vera Daves has a degree in economics from the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN) and has completed several courses in finance, management and leadership. She was the Director of Research of an Angolan bank and was the President of the Capital Markets Commission in Angola, before becoming the country’s Minister of Finance. In addition to these prominent positions, Vera Daves was also a Finance Technician at Sonangol ESSA, Director of the Product and Research Office at Banco Privado Atlântico, Chair Professor of Financial Markets at the Executive MBA initiated by the Catholic Business School Alliance, and Professor of Public Finance and Economic Integration at the Faculty of Economics of the Catholic University of Angola.
Maria Da Conceição Uini Baptista, President of the Board of Directors of the Capital Market Commission (Angola)
Since July 2020, Maria Da Conceição Uini Baptista, 38, is the resident of the Capital Markets Commission (CMC) in Angola. The role of the Capital Markets Commission (CMC) is to regulate, supervise, tax and promote the securities market and the activities involving all agents participating in it, directly or indirectly.
Prior to her current position, Maria Da Conceição Uini Baptista was Executive Director for Business Support Areas and a member of the Board of Directors of Banco VTB Africa. At the same bank, she held the position of Coordinator of the Internal Control Area, Risk Manager of Banco VTB Africa and was responsible for the first project of stabilization of the Information Technology Infrastructure combined between VTB Moscow, VTB Capital and VTB Africa. She was also an associate at Banco Comercial Angolano, where she held several positions, including Deputy Risk Manager.
Antonio Nunes, First CEO of Angola Cables
António Nunes is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Angola Cables. He has been the CEO of the company since its creation in 2009. Angola Cables is an Angolan multinational telecommunications operator of fiber optic cables.
An electrical engineer by profession, Antonio Nunes has more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications field. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany. Prior to Angola Cables, Antonio Nunes worked for UNITEL, Angola’s largest cell phone operator. During his tenure at UNITEL, he coordinated the development of the access (2G and 3G) and transmission (microwave and fiber) networks, as well as the associated infrastructure.
As CEO of Angola Cables, Antonio Nunes was responsible for positioning the company as a leading player in the international telecommunications market. Under his leadership, the company has embarked on several successful projects to date. These include the commissioning of two submarine fiber optic cables. The first cable, Monet, has been in operation since late 2017 connecting Santos, São Paulo, to Fortaleza, Brazil, to Miami in the United States. The South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) is now operational and connects Fortaleza, Brazil, to Luanda, Angola, providing new efficient routing in the Southern Hemisphere. The company is currently engaged in the construction of an advanced Tier III data center in Praia do Futur on the Ceará coast of Brazil. Angola Cables is also one of the main shareholders of WACS (West Africa Cable System), which connects South Africa to London, providing services to operators in Angola and the sub-Saharan region, making it one of the largest IP providers in the region.
In November 2017, Antònio Nunes was named Best Manager of the Year at the seventh edition of the SIRIUS Awards, promoted by Deloitte, in recognition of his talent and best practices within the Angolan business community.
Antonio Nunes was also instrumental in Angola Cables’ membership in the World Economic Forum (WEF) and was recently nominated for the Data Economy: Power 200 List of Most Influential Leaders in the Data Economy.
Edna Augusta dos Santos Nunda Barbosa de Mascarenhas, 29, Executive Administrator of the Financial Markets Commission (Angola)
Executive Administrator of the Capital Markets Commission (CMC), Edna Augusta dos Santos Nunda Barbosa de Mascarenhas has been a Senior Economist Technician at CMC’s Market Surveillance and Investigation Office, Director of the Market Surveillance and Investigation Office, Director of CMC’s Collective Investment Schemes Surveillance Department. She holds a degree in Economics and Management from the Catholic University of Angola and a Masters in Finance from the Catholic University of Porto.
Born in Huambo on February 10, 1991, Edna Mascarenhas is married.
Aimonia Cabral, Entrepreneur (Guinea Bissau)
She is the co-founder and CEO of Guinea-Bissau’s first online agricultural sales site “Bandim Online”. On this digital platform, local and international businesses and customers can instantly purchase fresh agricultural products from Guinean farmers. Revenues are generated from B2B and B2C sales and subscriptions. In addition, Aimonia Cabaral is also the co-founder of INNOVALAB’s first innovation and business skills dissemination center, where she also serves as a mentor. InnovaLab, is a social enterprise, pioneer in accelerating and promoting innovation in the country. Outside of entrepreneurship, Aimona Cabral works at Orange in Guinea Bissau, where she is the International Roaming Coordinator, in charge of all negotiations, agreements, financial and technical tasks related to roaming services and interconnections with other operators.
Aimonia Cabaral holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance and was one of the Mandela Washington Fellow in 2017.
Ana Lima Barber, Commissioner General for Cape Verde for the Dubai 2020 World Expo
Prior to her current position, Ana Lima Barber was, since 2016, CEO of Cabo Verde TradeInvestment, a government agency responsible for attracting investment to Cape Verde. Dubai 2020 is a World Expo scheduled to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from October 1ᵉʳ to March 31, 2022.
As Commissioner General for Cape Verde of the Dubai 2020 World Expo, her function will be to promote Cape Verde and attract quality investments from the Middle East to the archipelago. Cape Verde will participate in the event with a stand of Cape Verdean businessmen who will exhibit and promote the destination and products “made in Cape Verde”. “I am sure that this will be a new era for Cape Verde. An era where Cape Verde will reaffirm itself as a platform that we want to be a gateway to Africa and to several countries in the world, and above all, to give Cape Verde a different visibility,” said Ana Lima Barber. The latter holds a degree in Economic Law from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lisbon.
Pedro Fernandes Lopes, 35, Secretary of State for the Digital Economy of the Republic of Cape Verde
Born in Coimbra, Portugal, Pedro Lopes became, at the age of 31, the youngest member of the current government of Cape Verde, when he was appointed Secretary of State for Innovation and Professional Training in 2017. Since May 20, 2021, the day of the publication of the list of the new government, composed after the legislative elections of April 2021, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Digital Economy.
Pedro Fernandes Lopes holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Coimbra, Portugal; a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford, UK and a postgraduate degree in Strategic Marketing Communication, from the Department of Economics, from the University of Coimbra. He was president of the International Relations Student Union of the University of Coimbra. Prior to Cape Verde, Pedro Fernandes Lopes worked in Portugal as a Customer Manager and International Business Manager in the areas of construction, trade and hotel design for the Catarino Group companies – for the Portuguese, Spanish and Cape Verdean markets.
In Italy, Pedro Lopes worked with the City Council of Trieste, where he organized workshops, conferences and promoted youth mobility in the framework of a European Commission project.
In Cape Verde, Pedro Lopes was part of the team that successfully organized the “Africa Innovation Summit – AIS”, as director of the African Innovation Exhibition and as deputy director of the Summit. He was also a communications consultant, project manager and executive vice president of Wansati Communications and was a communications associate at the United Nations in Praia City, Cape Verde.
Lúcia Cardoso, President of the Cape Verdean Association of Young Entrepreneurs
Lúcia Cardoso is a musician, teacher and entrepreneur. She is the president of the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Cape Verde as well as the founder of the brand “Lente Badia Natural Cosmetics”, which creates organic products from natural Cape Verdean resources, while training, empowering and employing women, especially young mothers. Lúcia Cardoso sees communication as one of the institution’s biggest challenges, which is to promote business, create networks and expand partnerships.
From April 2014 to June 2016, Lúcia Cardoso was the Artistic Director/Coordinator of the Orquestra Nacional de Cabo Verde, the National Orchestra of Cape Verde, where she was responsible for creating the structure of the orchestra, creating the concept of the performances, and overseeing the logistics and production. She was also responsible for selecting the repertoire; selecting and recruiting musicians, representing the orchestra in diplomatic and institutional meetings and seeking grants and sponsors. She was also the choirmaster and lead singer of the orchestra.
Lúcia Cardoso was also the head of the music department at the Universidade de Cabo Verde (University of Cape Verde).
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Education from the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
Taibo Bacar, co-founder of the Taibo Bacar brand, (Mozambique)
Born in Mozambique, Taibo Bacar is considered one of the leading designers in Africa. He is the creative director of the eponymous brand, while Tatiana Ismael, a former model, handles all administrative matters. The son of a seamstress, Taibo Bacar grew up with the sound of sewing machines, fabrics and sketches he drew for some of his mother’s clients. He left a career in IT to pursue a career in fashion design. His eponymous brand, launched in 2008 in Maputo, Mozambique, has won numerous African and international awards and was the first African brand to be featured at Milan Fashion Week. Taibo Bacar also regularly participates in various fashion events in Africa and around the world. For example, the designer participated in Rome at the Conde Nast International Luxury Conference, where he exhibited in the lobby in 2012, and was able to meet the most influential people in the fashion industry, such as Valentino and the late Franca Sozzani.
The Taibo Bacar brand, a fusion between haute couture and ready-to-wear, is particularly aimed at all women who identify with an eclectic style where the silhouette plays a central role. In addition, the brand claims to enhance the female body, using only selected cutting techniques and the highest quality materials, making each Taibo Bacar woman a unique being who is envied, respected and adored.
Eunice Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Cape Verde and the Diaspora
Eunice Mascarenhas Monteiro is the president of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Cape Verde and the Diaspora. She manages the NICE group which includes snack bars / restaurants / terraces in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. At the same time, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Santiago, Cape Verde, and of the Prestigie Hotel.
She is also Vice President of the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP); Vice President of the Cabo Verde Chamber of Tourism; WEB Ambassador – international network of women entrepreneurs (based in New York) and UN-Habitat Urban Ambassador in Cape Verde.
Helena Embalo, National Director for Guinea Bissau of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
A law graduate from the Universidade Clássica de Lisboa (Lisbon’s Classical University), Helena Emballo is currently BCEAO’s National Director for Guinea Bissau, appointed on February 28, 2017. She has spent her entire career working for the Central Bank of Guinea Bissau, where she started 29 years ago. Among other positions, she served as Director of the Governor’s Cabinet and Legal Services, combining these functions with that of lawyer. Subsequently, Helena Embalo joined the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), during the institutional transformation that took place with Guinea Bissau’s accession to the West African Monetary Union (WAMU) in 1997. At BCEAO, she began her career as head of the administrative and social department of the main branch in Bissau and then, in 2000, she was transferred to BCEAO headquarters in Dakar, where she was in charge of the microfinance regulatory mission. In 2004, Helena Embalo was appointed Minister of Fisheries in Guinea Bissau. She returned to BCEAO in 2005 as advisor to the country director for Guinea Bissau. In 2009, she re-entered the government as Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration of Guinea Bissau. At the end of her ministerial functions, in 2012, she returned to BCEAO, at the Headquarters in Dakar. In 2015, she was appointed Director of Careers and Skills Management at BCEAO .
Janira Hopffer Almada, Cape Verde, first woman and youngest person to head PAICV
Janira Hopffer Almada was the president of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). She resigned from her position after her party failed in the April 18, 2021 legislative elections in Cape Verde. If she won, she would have become the first female Prime Minister of Cape Verde.
Elected president of PAICV in 2014, at the age of 35, Janira Hopffer Almada was the first woman to lead the party as well as the youngest personality elected to assume the position.
Janira Hopffer Almada was born on September 27, 1978, in Praia, on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. She has a degree in Corporate Law from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. After returning to Cape Verde in 2002, she became a professor at the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde, between 2003 and 2006. She is also a private lawyer, a member of the Advisory Council of the Cape Verdean Bar Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Cape Verdean Association of Women Lawyers. Subsequently, Janira Hopffer Almada entered politics by being successively elected municipal deputy in 2008 and deputy in the legislative elections of 2011. However, she will not sit in Parliament because appointed to the government, at the age of 29, as Minister of Youth and Parliamentary Affairs, the youngest member of this government led by José Maria Neves.
Janira Hopffer Almada was then appointed Minister of Youth, Employment and Human Resources Development, in a new government still led by José Maria Neves. On December 15, 2014, Janira Hopffer Almada was elected leader of the PAICV party with 51.24% of the votes, succeeding José Maria Neves. She becomes the first woman and, at 35 years old, the fifth and youngest personality to lead PAICV . In December 2016, she resigned as minister, to devote herself, as party leader, to the preparation of the 2016 elections. PAICV, in power since 2011 had lost those elections to the Movement for Democracy (MPD), a liberal party in power in the 1990s.
Janira Hopffer Almada was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Sotavento Islands (CCISS), the group of islands making up the southern part of the Cape Verde archipelago, opposite the Barlavento Islands.
Welket Bunguét (Guinea Bissau)
Born on February 7, 1988 in Xitole (Guinea-Bissau) and based in Berlin, Welket Bunguét is an actor, performer and director. He holds a degree in Theater from the Superior School of Theater and Cinema (ESTC) in Lisbon and a postgraduate degree in Performance from the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UniRio), Brazil. He is a permanent member of the Portuguese Film Academy since 2015 and also of the Deutsche Filmakademie, in Germany, since 2020.
In 2012, Welket Bengué received the Best Actor Award from the Quinta Praia Film Festival for his performance in the short film MÜTTER. In 2019, he has produced more than six short films such as “Jah Intervention”, “Arriaga” or “I Am Not Pilatus” and his films have been screened in several international festivals . In 2019, Welket Bengué received an “Angela Award – On The Road” at the Subtitle Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland. Since 2016, he has been working regularly with the Mala Voadora theater company in Portugal, and the Rastilho (Lisbon) and Homlet (Beja) theater companies, of which he is also co-founder. Welket Bengué has been cast in David Cronenberg’s upcoming feature film alongside Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen.
Bernardo Mariano Jr, Director General of Information and Communications Technology of the United Nations (Mozambique)
On June 1, 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Bernardo Mariano Jr. as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Office of Information and Communications Technology at UN Headquarters in New York.
Bernardo Mariano Jr. brings with him 28 years of experience in the United Nations system and international organizations. Prior to his appointment, he was the Chief Information Officer and Director of Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he led the digital transformation, leveraging digital technologies and innovations to accelerate the implementation of WHO’s strategic goals.
Bernardo Mariano Jr. began his career in 1993 at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mozambique, before working in Haiti, Mali, Angola, Kenya, Kosovo, South Africa, and then Geneva, where he joined WHO, in 2018. At IOM, he served as Senior Regional Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa, between 2017 and 2018; Director General for Southern Africa, from 2009 to 2015; and Director General of IOM Informatics, from 2015 to 2017, a position he previously held, from 2002 to 2011. In this role, he led several business transformation initiatives, bringing innovations in operations and management and ERP systems, information technology, project management and IT infrastructure.
Bernardo Mariano Jr. holds a Master’s degree in Global Management from Salford University, UK, and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and has a very good knowledge of French.
Admira Antonio, 31, first female airline pilot in Mozambique history
On June 16, 2018, Admira Antonio became the first female airline pilot in Mozambique’s history when she was appointed captain of an Embraer 145 aircraft (a 50-seat twin-engine jet) owned by a subsidiary of Mozambique Airlines (LAM), the national aviation company. Admira Antonio began her career with Mozambique Airlines in 2013, after training in 2011 at the Lanseria Flight Center in South Africa, where she flew her first 35 hours.
In 2012, she completed additional training at 43 Air school of the South African Flight Training Academy, obtaining a commercial pilot license. In January 2013, she went to France, where she specialized in flying Embraer-145 aircraft as a co-pilot. According to Mozambique Airlines, Admira Antonio demonstrated excellent professional performance and received top marks from the captains she flew with. When she reached more than 3,500 hours of flight time, she applied for and was granted the position of captain, becoming the first female captain in the history of Mozambican commercial aviation and the main person responsible for all decisions made during a flight.
Tania Tome, entrepreneur and motivational coach (Mozambique)
Tania Tome is an author, entrepreneur, economist, consultant, international coach and motivational speaker. She is the founder and president of Ecokaya, an investment consulting firm and the founder of Womenice Global Magazine.
As a motivational coach, Tania Tome developed “Succenergy”, her own leadership and motivational coaching method to empower entrepreneurs and executives, which led her to host a TED conference. She has also published the book “Succenergy”.
The method developed by Tania Tome is used in various trainings, coaching, workshops and conferences of her company, in several countries: Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Rwanda, Swaziland and Mozambique. Tania Tome is a multi-awarded personality, especially at the international level.
Marlene de Sousa, founder of the first human resources forum in Mozambique
Marlene de Sousa is the founder of the first human resources forum in Mozambique and also the founder of “Attitude”, a company specialized in recruitment for internship programs. Marlene de Sousa works between Mozambique and Tanzania.
She holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Lisbon (Portugal). She has also completed several professional trainings in Italy, Portugal and England.
Marlene de Sousa is also the co-founder of the Lusophone Leadership Summit. In this capacity, she is responsible for establishing partnerships with different institutions in Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Principe, Portugal, Brazil and East Timor. She is also in charge of sponsorship proposals.
Marlene de Sousa is also the founder of HR Forum Cabo Verde; co-founder of HR Forum Angola, ambassador for Africa of the “Organización Internacional de Directivos de Capital Humano” (International Organization of Human Capital Directors) and founder and former president of the Mozambican Association of Human Resources Professionals.
Djamila Cabral, World Health Organization representative in Angola (Guinea Bissau)
Since November 2020, Dr. Djamila Khady Cabral is the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Angola, after having held the same position in Mozambique, from 2016 to 2020.
Dr. Djamila Cabral holds a degree in medicine from the Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil. She also holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the Catholic University of Louvain, in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Djamila Cabral has extensive and solid experience in the field of public health, acquired in particular at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cape Verde, which she joined in 1989 and where she assumed several high-level technical and managerial responsibilities, notably as Health Delegate of the Municipality of Santa Catarina.
In Cape Verde, she was also the Executive Director of the Cape Verdean Association for the Protection of the Family (VERDEFAM). VERDEFAM is a non-profit philanthropic NGO, created in 1995, in the city of Praia, by people of good will, with the aim of defending and promoting the Right to Health.
She joined the WHO in 2001, where she has held several decision making positions over the last 8 years. In addition to Angola and Mozambique, she has been WHO representative in Burkina Faso and acting WHO representative in Côte d’Ivoire; coordinator of the WHO inter-country support team for West Africa; WHO regional advisor for the African region in the areas of women’s health and the fight against female genital mutilation as well as for research and development in maternal and reproductive health.
Salimo Abdula, Businessman and President of the Confederation of Enterprises of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), (Mozambique)
Salimo Abdula is a renowned Mozambican businessman with 30 years of business experience in various fields and sectors. He is currently President of the Confederation of Enterprises of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vodacom Mozambique (a position he also held between 2009 and 2011, and between 2013 and 2015); Chairman of the Board of Directors of Intelec Holdings, S.A., a group of companies operating in the areas of energy, advertising, tourism, finance, mineral resources, telecommunications, real estate, and consulting.
Salimo Abdula is also Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Mozambique and was President of the Board of Directors of the General Assembly of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) between 2011 and 2014 and between 2014 and 2017 as well as a former Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique.
Júlia Carvalho, General Manager of IBM Angola
Since November 2018, Júlia Carvalho has been the General Manager of the multinational IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) in Angola, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Responsible for IBM’s activities in these countries, she focuses on the development of advanced technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Blockchain, Big Data and Data Analytics. She is also responsible for ensuring that these technologies meet the current and future needs of institutions and companies in the main economic industries in these countries.
Júlia Carvalho has 20 years of management experience at the international and regional level, both in Europe and in Sub-Saharan Africa. She started working in Angola in 2006, after having worked for a large number of national and international companies, mainly in the oil industry, where she held several strategic and management positions. Prior to her appointment at IBM, Julia Carvalho worked for Halliburton in the software and services department, as Country Manager for Southern Africa: Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and South Africa.
Julia Carvalho holds a PhD in Engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon, Portugal and a degree in Mining Engineering. She has also completed several executive programs in the United States and at the Católica Lisbon School Business & Economics in Portugal. She is also a member of the Angolan board of the Petroleum Engineering Company (SPE) and received the “Africa Service Award of SPE” in 2018.
Maria Da Assunção Abdula, President of the Women’s Federation of the Confederation of Enterprises of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (Mozambique)
Maria Da Assunção Abdula has over 30 years of business experience in various sectors. Since 1996, she has been the general manager and founding partner of Electro Sul Limitada, a company specialized in the production and sale of electric meters and cables. In addition, since 2016, she is the president and founding member of the Women’s Federation of the Confederation of Enterprises of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. She is also an executive member of the Board of Directors of Intelec Holdings (a business group operating in the areas of energy, finance, mineral resources, telecommunications, advertising, tourism, real estate and consulting), a position she has held since 1998.
Maria Da Assunção Abdula is also, since 2015, an executive member of the Board of Directors of CINE Internacional, a communications company with offices in Brazil, Mozambique and other parts of the world. She is also responsible for the Social Responsibility Department of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA); a member of the Board of Directors of the Mozambique-Portugal Chamber of Commerce as well as Vice President and founding member of the Mozambique-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CCMI).
Munira Jauad Ribeiro, businesswoman (Guinea Bissau)
Ambassador Munira Jauad Ribeiro is the founder and President of the Board of Directors of RuMu Sarl, a company active in agribusiness and import and export.
Born on February 17, 1957 in Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, she holds a degree in Economics, with a specialization in International Trade, from the University of Havana (Cuba), and a post-graduate degree in Banking Management from the Institute of Banking Training, in Portugal. She has also completed several training courses, including international contract law, and has a degree in microfinance.
Ambassador Munira Jauad Ribeiro has had a rich professional career. She was Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Guinea Bissau in 2003, with the rank of Minister, directly dependent on the Prime Minister’s office. She was also Minister Delegate of Guinea-Bissau to the UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) in 2003 and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Guinea-Bissau to the Republic of Gambia, from 2006 to 2011.
Ambassador Munira Jauad Ribeiro is very active in civil society in Guinea-Bissau, both at the regional and international levels. She was, from 1996 to 2004, vice-president of the “Associação das Mulheres para as Atividades Económicas” (Association of Women for Economic Activities).
Since 2015, Ambassador Munira Jauad Ribeiro is the first president of the Women Economic Operators (REMOE / UEMOA / Guinea-Bissau), which is a sub-regional socio-economic organization. She is also vice-president of the federation of women entrepreneurs of the confederation of enterprises of the community of Portuguese speaking countries, representing Guinea-Bissau and president of the CPLP federation of women entrepreneurs in Guinea-Bissau.
Concerned about the education of children, Ambassador Munira Jauad Ribeiro is, since 1995, president of the socio-cultural NGO DJISSILIN, which has created a school for 400 students. In addition, since 2015, she is one of the members of the Board of Directors of Banco ECOBANK in Guinea-Bissau, and is a member of the National Credit Council of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), the central bank serving the eight West African countries that are part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Aller.
Neima Ferreira, Economist, (Guinea Bissau)
Neima Ferreira is a senior economist and currently the investor relations manager at the Africa Investment Forum, a multi-disciplinary, transactional organization led by the African Development Bank, dedicated to accelerating investment on the African continent. In 2018, the platform raised $38.7 billion to fund 49 projects on the African continent. In addition, Neima Ferreira is the founder of the Napili Project, which aims to empower girls and women in Guinea-Bissau through quality education and vocational training.
She holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Management from the University of Porto (Portugal) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the School of Economics, Business and Accounting of the University of Sao Polo, Brazil. She has also completed certified training courses, including in small and medium-sized enterprise finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. She also holds a certificate from the University of Bradford and is currently completing a Global Executive MBA from Hult International Business School, USA.
Beatriz da Consolação Mateus Buchili, Mozambique’s first female attorney general
Since 2014, Mozambican lawyer Beatriz da Consolação Mateus Buchili is the first woman to be Attorney General of Mozambique and the sixth personality to hold this position in the country’s history, after Joaquim Mulembwè, Sinai Nhatitima, António Namburete and Joaquim Madeira and Augusto Paulino.
She holds a Master’s degree in Law, obtained in 2007 from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and a degree in Law, obtained in 1999 from the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, in Mozambique. A career magistrate, she joined the Public Ministry in 1994 as a District Attorney. She was Chief Prosecutor of Cabo Delgado Province (2001-2005) and Chief Prosecutor of Sofala Province (from 2008 to 2011). In 2011, she was promoted to the Superior Court of Appeal of Maputo City, and also in 2011, she was appointed Secretary General of the Attorney General of Mozambique in a service commission.
Ivanilson Machado CEO of the multinational Puma Energy in Angola
Ivanilson Machado is an Angolan senior executive, motivational speaker and digital influencer. He is currently the CEO in Angola of the multinational oil company Puma Energy Angola. Previously, he was the CEO of Puma Energy Mozambique (2016 to 2020), which includes the general management of three group companies, and was a member of the board of directors of one of them. Operating in 18 countries in Africa, Puma Energy manages the supply, storage, refining, distribution and retailing of petroleum products and has more than 78 retail locations in Angola, Puma Energy’s largest market. Ivanilson holds a degree in International Relations and Political Science from the Autonomous University of Lisbon (UAL), Portugal. He also attended the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in Paris and the HEC Paris business school for more specific management and leadership training. He has held management positions since 2009, when he joined the Trafigura Group, an oil brokerage and shipping company specialized in the brokerage and transportation of raw materials in Angola. After Trafigura, he joined Puma Energy in Angola.
Elisabeth Moreno (Cap Vert/France)
Since July 6, 2020, Elisabeth Moreno has been the Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities in France. Prior to this political position, she was a business leader, including General Manager of Hewlett Packard (HP) Africa, CEO of Lenovo France and also held senior positions at Dell. Born in 1970 in Cape Verde, Elisabeth Moreno holds a Master’s degree in business law from the University of Paris-Est Créteil; an MBA in Global business from Essec/Mannheim and, after a one-year training at the Ecole Nationale de la Magistrature, she is a volunteer consular judge at the Commercial Court of Bobigny, near Paris. Elisabeth Moreno remains very attached to her country of origin, Cape Verde, which elected her “Cape Verdean Woman of the Year 2016 in France”. In addition, in 2005, she founded the Cabo Verde Business Club to promote Cape Verdean companies in France. Elisabeth Moreno is also involved in coaching activities for young and old.
Elsa Pinto, first woman appointed Minister of Defense in Sao Tome and Principe
Elsa Pinto was the first woman appointed Minister of Defense in Sao Tome and Principe from 2008 to 2010. She is a member of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe – Social Democratic Party. Until September 2020, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities of Sao Tome and Principe. She also served as the country’s Minister of Justice.
Edite do Ramos da Costa Ten Jua, politician and entrepreneur (Sao Tome and Principe)
Since September 2020, Edite do Ramos da Costa Ten Jua has been Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities in the 17th Constitutional Government of São Tomé and Príncipe. Throughout her career of more than 15 years until her last appointment, she has held various positions as a lawyer, businesswoman and minister in her country and abroad. She implemented and managed KPMG Angola in 2003, after also working at KPMG Johannesburg, South Africa and Maputo, Mozambique.
In 2004, Edite do Ramos da Costa Ten-Jua joined the Nigeria/Sao Tome and Principe Joint Authority as a lawyer, and managed its legal unit from 2008 to 2010.
Edite do Ramos da Costa Ten Jua served as Sao Tome and Principe’s Minister of Justice from 2012 to 2014, and served on the country’s Constitutional Court from 2019 to 2020, before being appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in September 2020.
Edite do Ramos da Costa Ten Jua is also an entrepreneur who has owned the fashion brand “TEN JUA Collection” since 2006, with stores in Sao Tome, Nigeria and Portugal. She has also written several books for children, including Tita Catita. She runs a foundation called El-Shaddai, which works with disadvantaged children in Africa to focus on education.
Born in 1972, Edite do Ramos da Costa TenJua graduated in law from Lisbon Law School in 1999. A lawyer, entrepreneur, writer and fashion designer, she advocates for the empowerment of women and children’s rights.
Maria das Neves Ceita Baptista de Sousa, first female Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe
Maria das Neves Ceita Baptista de Sousa was the first female Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe, from October 3, 2002 to September 18, 2004. She is a key figure of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party (MLSTP-PSD).
Maria das Neves Ceita Baptista de Sousa was Minister of Economy, Agriculture, Fisheries, Trade and Tourism and Minister of Finance from 2001 to 2002, before being appointed to Industry, Trade and Tourism in 2002.
Maria das Neves was trained as an economist in Cuba, specializing in public finance. Before becoming head of government, she worked as an official in the Ministry of Finance, the World Bank and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Zenaida Gertudes dos Santos Ramos Zumbi, President of the Board of Directors of BCI Angola
Since November 2019, Zenaida Gertudes dos Santos Ramos Zumbi has been the President of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Commerce and Industry (BCI), a bank 91% owned by the Angolan state.
Zeinada Zumbi joined the banking sector in 2003 as legal counsel at the Savings and Credit Bank (BPC), where she held the same position until 2006. From 2006 to March 2015, she joined the Development Bank of Angola (BDA) as a senior consultant in the legal office. From July 2015 to March 2019, Zeinada Zumbi was an executive member of the Board of Directors of Banco Prestígio, where she also served as an advisor to the same board.
Zeinada Zumbi holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of Agostinho Neto University, Angola and a postgraduate degree in Financial Markets from the same university.
Alexandra Lima, first woman pilot of the national airline of Angola
Captain Alexandra Lima is the first woman pilot of TAAG (Transportes Aéreos Angolanos), the national airline of Angola. She joined TAAG at the age of 18 as a flight attendant. Until 2014, she was the only female pilot of a Boeing 777-300 in Africa. Captain (Senior Pilot) since 2010,she started flying commercial flights in 1985, with a Fokker aircraft, for short-haul domestic flights.
Francisca Van Dunem (Angola/Portugal), first black member of a government in Portugal
Born in 1955 in Luanda, Angola, Francisca Van Dunem is Portugal’s Minister of Justice, since November 26, 2015, the first black personality member of a government in Portugal. Prior to her appointment, she was deputy attorney general of Lisbon.
Francisca Van Dunem graduated in law from the Faculdade de Direito of the Universidade de Lisboa in July 1977. She has been a Public Prosecutor since September 1979.
Francisca Van Dunem was Head of the Criminal Law and Criminal Procedural Law Departments at the Faculdade de Direito of the Universidade de Lisboa between 1977 and 1979; Syndication and Surveys Advisor at Alta Autoridade contra a Corrupção, between 1985 and 1987; Delegated Prosecutor at the Labor Court, at the Criminal Court of Lisbon and at the Department of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution of Lisbon; member of the Attorney General’s Office between 1999 and 2001; Director of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Lisbon between 2001 and 2007; Deputy Attorney General from 2007 to 2015, before being appointed member of the Portuguese government as Minister of Justice.
In addition, Francisca Van Dunem was a member of the European Judicial Network in Criminal Matters between 2003 and 2007 and represented the Superior Council of the Public Prosecutor in the mission unit for penal reform.
In addition, she was a member of the commission that reviewed the criminal procedural law of Portugal in 2009.
Francisca Van Dunem has represented Portugal in several meetings and expert committees of international organizations, namely the European Committee on Crime Problems, the Council of Europe and the European Monitoring Centre on Racism of the European Union.
Rita Bosaho first black deputy of Spain (Equatorial Guinea/Spain)
Rita Bosaho is the first black member of parliament in Spain, elected in December 2015 and June 2016 on behalf of Unidas Podemos. She has a degree in history from the University of Alicante, Spain. Before starting her political career, she completed a Master’s degree in identities and integration in contemporary Europe, followed by a thesis on the impact of European colonization in Africa.
Rita Bosaho has worked for a long time in public health, as a technical assistant.
She was born in 1965 in Santa Isabel, now Malabo, on the island of Fernando Poo, now Bioko. Equatorial Guinea was then a colony of Spain.
Nadir Tati, Stylist, (Angola)
Nadir Tati is a leading figure in contemporary African style and fashion in Angola. An advocate for African art and human rights, she works with underprivileged children.
Nadir Tati was the first Angolan and African designer to dress a film actress for the Oscars in Hollywood, when in 2013 Rachel Mwanza from the Democratic Republic of Congo wore a piece from her collection to the 85th Academy Awards. Rachel Mwanza attended the ceremony thanks to the film “Rebel” in which she was the lead actress and which was nominated in the category of “Best Foreign Film”.
Nadir Tati won the award for the best designer in Angola for three consecutive years in 2010, 2011 and 2012. She is the 2011 and 2012 Angolan Fashion Diva as well as the 2012 Diva of the Year, in which year she won two trophies at the same event. The prestigious Sirius Award given to Angolan personalities in 2013 was awarded to Nadir Tati for her excellence in business and industry and for raising the name of Angola on the world’s podiums.
Leila Lopes, first Angolan elected Miss Universe
In 2011, Leila Lopes, 35, was elected Miss Universe, at the age of 23, becoming the first Angolan and the fourth black woman elected in the history of this beauty contest.
Paula Nascimento, Architect (Angola)
Paula Nascimento is an architect and curator who graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture, the oldest independent school of architecture in the United Kingdom, and London South Bank University, London.
Paula Nascimento has collaborated with architectural firms in Porto and London. In 2013, she co-organized, with Stefano Rabolli Pansera, the first Angolan pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which won the Golden Lion with an exhibition of works by Edson Chagas – the first African pavilion to do so. The pavilion was part of a larger research project titled “Beyond Entropy Africa” (2010-15), which focused on the city of Luanda as a paradigm of poor urban conditions, due to its high population density and lack of essential infrastructure. “Beyond Entropy Africa is also a collective, research-based network operating in the fields of architecture-urbanism-visual arts and geopolitics.
Paula Nascimento has also been a consultant on various projects, including the Angola Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015. She often collaborates with different artists’ institutions and collectives in Africa and abroad.
Paula Nascimento also lectures, writes and has organized or co-organized exhibitions in Angola, South Africa, Portugal, Italy and France – including the Africa in Focus sections at Arco Lisbon in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She is guest curator of the Catchupa Factory residency for Portuguese-speaking African photographers in Cape Verde. Between 2012 and 2020, she was a founding member of Colectivo Pés Descalços, a Luanda-based multidisciplinary collective and non-profit organization developing cultural and educational projects in Luanda, Angola.
Eunice Carvalho, corporate executive and former president of the American multinational oil company Chevron in Brazil (Angola)
Eunice Carvalho is, since March 2018, the Director of Corporate Affairs of Unitel, the largest telecommunications operator in Angola, headquartered in Luanda. Long before, she worked in Brazil as president of the American multinational oil company Chevron. In this position, she oversaw negotiations with the Brazilian state so that the North American oil company could resume operations in Brazil, after losing its license following an oil spill in 2011. Eunice Carvalho also served as General Manager of Chevron Angola.
Eunice Carvalho has lived for more than 20 years in the US, where she earned a JD from the University of Iowa School of Law and a BA in Political Science from Northwest University.
Ângela de Sousa Simões Krainer, Member of Parliament in Austria (Angola)
Since October 2020, Ângela de Sousa Simões Krainer has been a district councillor in the Mariahilf district of Vienna’s 6th district, Austria. She was elected to this position on behalf of the Social Democratic Party (SPO), the largest and oldest political force in Austria. The daughter of Angolan parents, Ângela Krainer is a member of the Social Democratic Party leadership. She was born in Angola, from where she moved with her parents at a very young age to the former Czechoslovakia, where she studied. Later, as an adult, she immigrated to Austria, where she lives with her Australian husband and two children.
Ângela de Sousa Simões Krainer holds a Master’s degree in Literature, Spanish Language and English from the Comenius University in Bratislava, the largest university in Slovakia.
Atalia Modesta Baha, the youngest minister in the government of Equatorial Guinea
Twenty-eight-year-old Atalia Modesta Baha is, since August 19, 2020, Equatorial Guinea’s deputy minister of information and press, the youngest member of the country’s current government. Prior to her appointment, she was, since 2018, director general of the press and image office of the vice president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
A graduate in political science from the National University of Equatorial Guinea, Atalia Modesta Baha has undergone several training courses in image and presentation as well as business management. She has been a presenter and reporter for various television programs in Equatorial Guinea.
Atalia Modesta Baha has also worked as a press attaché for the Embassy of Equatorial Guinea in the People’s Republic of China.
Maria Do Carmo Trovoada, former Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe
Maria do Carmo Trovoada Pires de Carvalho Silveira was, from 2016 to 2018, Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries. A member of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe – Social Democratic Party, she served jointly as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from June 8, 2005 to April 21, 2006, after having been Governor of the Central Bank of her country between 1999 and 2005. She was again governor from 2011 to 2016.
Maria do Carmo Trovoada Pires de Carvalho Silveira holds a PhD in Socio-Economic Development from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Strasbourg, France, and a Master’s Degree in Economics, specializing in “Economic Planning” from the University of Donetsk, Ukraine.
Married with three children, Maria do Carmo Trovoada Pires de Carvalho Silveira has a solid experience in the definition and management of macroeconomic and financial policies.
An advocate for women’s and children’s rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality, she was elected president of the Fórum Mulher São-Tomense, a federation of NGOs for these issues.
Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Africa (Cape Verde)
In July 2020, Cristina Duarte was appointed Special Adviser on Africa to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Cristina Duarte has more than 34 years of experience in strategic management in the public and private sector, combined with a deep knowledge of regional and international cooperation and the problems facing African countries. She is a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, the High-Level Advisory Council on Economic and Social Affairs, the Rwandan President’s Advisory Committee on African Union Reform, the Board of Directors of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Board of Directors of the African Leadership Institute for Sustainable Development.
In Cape Verde, Cristina Duarte served as Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Administration from 2006 to 2016. Prior to that, she was the director of the World Bank’s Private Sector Development and Competitiveness Project. She also served as Director of Planning and Studies at the Cape Verdean Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and as an advisor to numerous international organizations and NGOs, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Cristina Duarte began her career at Citibank as External Relations Officer in Kenya, before becoming Vice President, Director and later Head of Financing and Investments in Angola.
She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management, USA; an advanced degree from the University of Colorado, USA and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Planning and Development from the Instituto Superior de Economia in Portugal. She is fluent in English, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Christina Duarte is married and has one child.
Maria Helena M.Q Semedo, FAO deputy director general and first-ever female minister in Cape Verde
Maria Helena Semedo is, since June 2013, deputy director general, climate and natural resources, of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
A Cape Verdean economist and politician, she is a leading expert on global development issues and has over 30 years of experience in public service.
Prior to her current position, Maria Helena Semedo was FAO Representative in Niger (2003-2008), Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Subregional Coordinator for West Africa (2008-2009) and Regional Representative for Africa (2009-2013).
Maria Helena Semedo began her career in 1984 as an economist at the Ministry of Finance and Cooperation of Cape Verde and later at the Bank of Cape Verde. Two years after becoming Secretary of State for Fisheries, she was appointed Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 1993 – the first woman minister in Cape Verde. After serving as Minister of Tourism, Transport and Maritime Affairs from 1995 to 1998, she became a Member of Parliament, a position she held until 2003. During this period, she also represented her country in many international organizations.
In May 2008, Maria Helena Semedo was awarded the Order of Niger for her distinguished services in the field of agriculture. In March 2018, she was named “Woman of the Year” at the commemoration of the Women Diplomats Day in Portugal. In December 2018, the Universidade Aberta de Lisboa awarded her an Honorary Doctorate for her work in global sustainable development. In the same month, the Brazilian government awarded her the Honorary Order of Rio Branco.
Maria Borges, the first black model to have walked the Victoria’s Secret runway (Angola)
Maria Borges is an Angolan supermodel, muse of L’Oreal Paris. She is the first black model to have walked for Victoria’s Secret. She is one of the protégés of Riccardo Tisci, artistic director of Burberry and former artistic director of Givenchy, whom she even calls her “godfather”. Maria Borges is currently under contract with the IMG agency, and lives in New York. She is also the founder and CEO of “The Star Management”, which aims to discover, launch and manage the careers of Angolan models. Maria Borges also founded “Onetouchcharity”, an organization that works with orphanages in Africa.
Maria Borges was born in Angola and was raised by her siblings during the Angolan civil war. She was discovered by an agent at the Elite Model Look Angola contest in 2010.
From 2013 to 2016 she walked the runway for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show and in 2016 she became the new muse for L’Oreal Paris. In 2017 Maria Borges is at the peak of her career with the Carolina Herrera campaigns photographed by Mario Testino, Gap Advertising or Brandon Maxwell in the United States.
Lucia Da Luz Ribeiro, first woman president of the Constitutional Council of Mozambique
Since 2019, Lúcia da Luz Ribeiro, born on June 16, 1963, is the president of the Constitutional Council of Mozambique, the first woman appointed to this position in the country. She was appointed by the current Mozambican president, Filipe Nyusi. Prior to her appointment, Lúcia da Luz Ribeiro was a lawyer and advisor to the Constitutional Council, since November 3, 2003.
Lucia Da Luz Ribeiro holds a Doctorate in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), Mozambique, obtained in 2019; a postgraduate degree in Corporate Legal Advice from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, where she also obtained her Master’s Degree in Business Law.
Lucia Da Luz Ribeiro has held several positions, including Director of the Law School of Eduardo Mondlane University (2003-2004); former President of the Legal Council of the Bar Association (2003); founding member of the Mozambican Bar Association; founding member of the Mozambican Association of Women in Legal Careers; and Legal Advisor to the Mozambican Minister of Public Works and Housing from 1995 to 2003;
Lucia Da Luz Ribeiro has been a professor at Eduado Mondlane University since 1995.
Maria de Fatima Coronel, first woman president of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde
Maria de Fátima Coronel is president of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde, since 2015, the first woman to hold this position in the country. She was a magistrate, before becoming a public prosecutor and judge in the criminal courts of Santa Catarina and Praia, Cape Verde. She is not a member of any political party and is considered an “exemplary” judge. She has been a judge at the Supreme Court of Cape Verde since 2007.
Suzi Barbosa Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea Bissau
Suzi Carla Barbosa is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities of Guinea-Bissau in the government of Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam. Suzi Barbosa has also served as Secretary of State for Cooperation and Communities and as advisor on political and diplomatic matters to the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau.
A polyglot, she is fluent in six languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.
Suzi Barbosa was the youngest member of parliament elected in Guinea Bissau in 2014. She holds a degree in International Relations from the Instituto superior de ciências sociais e políticas, University of Lisbon, Portugal and a Master’s degree in Development and International Cooperation from the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (ISEG)-Lisbon school of economic and management.
Suzi Barbosa is a member of the Central Committee of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), where she is head of the Foreign Affairs Directorate.
At the parliamentary level, she is vice-president of the PAIGC parliamentary group and also president of the network of women parliamentarians (REMP-GB).
A member of the Executive Committee of PGA since November 2017, she is the president of the national group of this parliamentary organization, which is composed of 142 parliaments.
Also at the parliamentary level, she was one of the advocates of the Parity Law passed in 2018, which aims to increase the presence of women from Guinea Bissau in decision-making spheres.
Mircea Delgado, one of the youngest female deputies in Cape Verde
Mircea Delgado is one of the rising stars of Cape Verdean politics. She was elected as a member of parliament at the age of 32, in 2016 on the list of the Movement for Democracy (MPD) in the constituency of São Vicente, the second most populous island of Cape Verde, and where she is originally from.
Mircea Delgado has a law degree and a Master’s degree in Legal and Forensic Sciences from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, Portugal. In 2017, she participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for young African leaders.
Mircea Delgado is secretary of the Bureau of the National Assembly of Cape Verde.
Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis, Minister of Defense of Cape Verde
Former Minister of Justice and Labor, Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis was promoted to Minister of State, Minister of Defense and Territorial Cohesion of Cape Verde, with the publication of the country’s new government, following the legislative elections of last April.
Born on January 20, 1974 in Sal Island, Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis is vice president of the Movement for Democracy (MPD), the ruling party in Cape Verde.
Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis holds a law degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a post-graduate degree in Business and Labor Law. She practiced as a lawyer (1998-2016) and held various public positions, including as a member of the African Parliament (2011-2016); member of the National Assembly (Specialized Committee on Legal Affairs) (2006-2016); member of the Municipal Assembly and leader of the Independent Group for Change and Development of Sal (2004-2008), legal advisor to the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports of Cabo Verde (1998) and legal officer of TACV – National Air Transport Company of Cabo Verde (1998-2008).
Janine Lélis was also president of the parliamentary commission of inquiry on the areas of integral development of tourism; vice-president of the union of young African parliamentarians and member of the committee of justice of the African Parliament and the fiscal council of Cape Verde.
Elsa Garrido, first female presidential candidate in São Tomé and Principe
Leader of the MSD-Green Party of São Tomé, Elsa Garrido is a candidate for the next presidential election scheduled in São Tomé and Principe in July 2021. She is known for her commitment to the defense of environmental and sustainable development policies, particularly through her NGO “Terra Verde”, founded in 2011 . Her last protest was in 2017 against the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, which resulted in a 19-day hunger strike. She also helped found the Green Party in 2017.
In 2018, Elsa Garido became the first woman to head the list in the legislative elections, running for the position of Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe.
Neusa Marcelino General Manager for Southern Africa of the French multinational CMA-CGM (Mozambique)
Since September 2020, Neusa Marcelino has been the General Manager for Southern Africa of the French multinational CMA-CGM, one of the world’s leading container shipping companies and the largest French group in the sector, with more than $20 billion in revenues. Long before that, she was CMA-CGM’s general manager for Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In an industry dominated by men, Neusa Marcelino is an exception. Prior to CMA-CGM, Neusa Marcelino also worked for other big names in global shipping such as Maersk and Safmarine.
Neusa Marcelino holds a degree in Economics from the Escola Superior de Economia e Gestao, Mozambique and a degree in Leadership from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Upon entering university, she wanted to work in community development, or economic development NGOs in Mozambique. But towards the end of her studies, she was approached by the Danish company Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company, which was looking for candidates for their two-year Graduate Program. It was not necessarily a sector that attracted Neusa Marcelino, but she agreed to join the program to train. “After nine months, I was hooked: it’s a place where you learn every day. Even now, after 14 years in the business, I’m still discovering new things every day,” said Neusa Marcelino in an interview. “However, the maritime field is a very masculine environment, and the beginnings were not easy. I was young, I was 22, and I was a woman. I wasn’t taken seriously. I had to work on my appearance, change my hair, my style, my makeup, to look older. I also learned to keep my different circles (work, family, friends) categorically separate to avoid any misunderstanding. And most importantly, I showed my determination to learn and assert myself to gain the respect of my colleagues,” she said.
For Neusa Marcelino, becoming a manager remains a challenge when you are a woman and, she says, you should not fall into the trap of being too empathetic and understanding that is expected of a woman manager. “You have to be strong enough to listen to your employees while making it clear that you will not accommodate their grievances. As women, we have to do ten times more and ten times better than men, because we are expected to fail. But, on the other hand, this can become a significant advantage: it will be assumed that our contribution will be minimal, so we have the advantage of surprise to excel quickly,” said Neusia Marcelino, who started as a salesperson at Maersk and quickly rose to become an internal program manager. “At that point, I made a counterintuitive decision: I applied to Safmarine, a South African-born shipping company, for a lesser position. No one understood why. However, my strategy was very clear: I didn’t want to move up but to learn more. I already had a strong background in sales, but I wanted to learn more about the technical aspects of the business: what happens after a quote is approved? How do you make orders? How do you plan the loading of a ship? By combining my commercial and technical knowledge, I would have much greater assets to differentiate myself in the sector. After two years at Safmarine, I was promoted to the position of Sales and Customer Experience Manager. My strategy paid off: I returned to Maersk as Branch Manager for Maputo. Being a woman and being young, the best leverage I have is my level of competence, what I am able to bring to the company: having the technical skills and a deep knowledge of the sector and the industry, I became indispensable”, said Neusia Marcelino.
After 9 years with Maersk and Safmarine, Neusia Marcelino was recruited by the French company. “It was time for me to change environment: the company was younger, in the process of structuring. The group has more than 100,000 employees, 400 subsidiaries. I was recruited to head the subsidiary in the Zambezia region, which includes Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which is booming thanks to the investments made by the government in the countries’ infrastructures. In the future, I would like to work at the regional level. CMA is divided into headquarters, regional offices and country offices. I already have the agency perspective, but I would like to learn more about how the regional offices work, so that I can then take over a larger agency. I really like working in an agency, you are at the center of all the stakeholders: you have to implement policies developed by the headquarters and regional offices, manage customers and suppliers, relations with ports… You are in the thick of things,” said Neusia Marcelino, whose wish has since come true, as she is currently CMA-CGM’s director for all of Southern Africa.
Mateus Webba Da Silva, scientist and researcher (Angola/Ireland)
Born in Angola in 1965, Mateus Webba Da Silva is an Angolan scientist, based in Northern Ireland, who received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Exeter, England. He has worked in the United States and Sweden. He is an award-winning scientist working at the University of Ulster, where he leads studies on the formation of DNA, the building blocks of life. Mateus Webba Da Silva supervised the installation of a machine at the university that integrates a giant magnet and radio frequencies to analyze DNA samples. This allows to highlight their building blocks and the way they move and function and thus help scientists to reproduce nature.
For his PhD thesis, Mateus Webba Da Silva studied dynamic phenomena in organometallic complexes using solution NMR spectroscopic methods. He then performed solution NMR structural studies on paramagnetic proteins at the University of California, Davis, followed by structural studies on nucleic acids at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and the Duke Cancer Center at Duke University in North Carolina. During his research career, he has developed a variety of interests, including the synthesis of coordination compounds and organometallic complexes as drugs, DNA repair mechanisms, prodrug activation by P450s, biomolecule-ligand interactions, and nonlinear optical properties of materials.
Dr. Simão Zacarias, researcher (Mozambique)
In October 2020, Dr. Simão Zacarias, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Scotland, received the Global Aquaculture Innovation Award from the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), following a vote of leading academics and scientists from around the world. The award was given in recognition of his research, which has benefits for animal welfare and sustainable food production.
Simão Zacarias’ research concerns the common and controversial practice in shrimp hatcheries of unilateral eye-stem removal. In his research findings, Simão Zacarias refuted the idea that this practice leads to higher egg production. Instead, the Mozambican researcher demonstrated that this procedure increases susceptibility to disease and proved that a similar egg production rate can be achieved by providing the shrimp broodstock with high quality nutritious feed.
Dr. Zacarias was one of 30 nominees for the award from 17 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Tanzania and Thailand.
Angelina Vunge, the first African-American Member of Parliament in Uruguay (Angola/Uruguay)
Angelina Vunge is Uruguay’s first deputy of African descent, elected in April 2021 on behalf of the National Party (center-right, the ruling party). She has lived in Uruguay for 20 years.
Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko (Angola)
Since 2017, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko has been the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission. Previously, she was a special advisor to two ministers in Angola. At the Ministry of Agriculture, Josefa Sacko oversaw food security, hunger eradication and poverty reduction. She is the former Secretary General of the Inter-African Coffee Organization (IACO), a position she held for 13 years in Côte d’Ivoire, where she represented the coffee economy to 25 African coffee producing countries.
Other notable partnerships she has worked on include the Regional Economic Communities (RECS), namely SADC, COMESA, ECOWAS and EAC, where she was actively involved in addressing the problems faced by smallholder farmers in Africa, ensuring that they remain a central component of regional and national development policy making. Ms.
Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko Sacko is fluent in Portuguese, French, English, Spanish and Lingala.
Carlos Gomes Júnior, considered the richest man in Guinea Bissau
Twice Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau (2004-2005 and 2009-2012), banker and businessman, Carlos Gomes Junior is considered the richest man in the country. He was also, from 2002 to 2014, president of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), the historic independence party that controlled Cape Verde from 1974 until the coup in 1999.
Lourenço Sambo, Director General of the Mozambique Investment and Export Promotion Agency
Lourenço Sambo is the current director general of the Investment and Export Promotion Agency (APIEX – Mozambique), since June 2017. Previously, he was the Director General of the Investment Promotion Center – CPI, from July 2010 to June 2017 and Economic Advisor to the Minister of Planning and Development of the Republic of Mozambique from June 2006 to July 2010.
Lourenço Sambo holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Agricultural Business Management, from the Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.
Rogério Samo Gudo Vice President of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique
Rogério Samo Gudo is the vice president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique and also one of the most prominent businessmen in Mozambique. Rogerio Samo Gudo is the president of Escopil Internacional and MCnet, companies created in 1998 and 2010 respectively and specialized in information and communication technologies. Some of the company’s flagship projects have been the Mozambique driver’s license and motor vehicle system, the digital voter registration system in the country, electronic solutions for tax authorities and the Mozambique Single Electronic Window.
Rogério Samo Gudo graduated in Electronic Engineering from Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.
Ernesto Gove, 45 years in the service – at the Bank of Mozambique
Ernesto Gouveia Gove is the current governor of the National Bank of Mozambique, an institution he joined in 1976. Prior to that, he was appointed executive director and member of the bank’s board of directors in 1991.
Ernesto Gove has a degree in economics from Eduardo Mondlane University and a master’s degree in finance from the University of London.
Manuel Armando da Costa Ekuikui, the youngest member of the National Assembly of Angola
Manuel Armando da Costa Ekuikui, 30, is the youngest member of the Angolan parliament. He is a member of the political party National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Born in Huambo, Nelito Ekuiki, as he is known, has a degree in law. He is also the First Secretary of UNITA in Luanda.
Seco Sidibé the youngest presidential advisor in the history of Guinea-Bissau
Seco Ussumane Sidibé, 26, became the youngest presidential advisor in the history of Guinea-Bissau, after being appointed by decree No. 08/2021 of April 28 as advisor to the office of the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for youth issues. Before his appointment, he held the same position with the President of the National People’s Assembly of Guinea Bissau.
Seco Ussumane Sidibé was president of the Children’s Parliament of Guinea-Bissau between 2009 and 2014 and also coordinator of the “República de Mininos hoje” movement, an organization he mentors that brings together more than 350 youth, children and organizations. He is also an international consultant of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) for the Children and Youth Parliament Forum. He has developed several initiatives in favor of children’s rights in Portuguese speaking countries.
Seco Ussumane Sidibé holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Universidade Lusófona da Guiné.
Guillermina Mekuy Mba Obono, 38, first woman and youngest person appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism Equatorial Guinea
Guillermina Mekuy Mba Obono is an Equatoguinean writer, politician and businesswoman. She was the first woman and youngest personality appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism in Equatorial Guinea at the age of 29, a position she held from 2011 to 2017. Prior to that, she was Secretary of State for Libraries, Archives, Museums and Cinemas, appointed to the post at the age of 27. Guillermina Mekuy also served as director general of the National Library of Equatorial Guinea, appointed at the age of 26.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law, a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, all from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, where she grew up, before returning to Equatorial Guinea.
Guillermina Mekuy is also the founder of Meik Magazine, Clementyne Cosmetic and Editorial MK. She has also published several books.
Maria Rosa Ondo Nsing, first woman elected president of the Equatorial Guinea Women’s Football Association
Former goalkeeper of the national soccer team of Equatorial Guinea, Maria Rosa Ondo, is the current president of the Women’s Football Association of Equatorial Guinea, the first woman appointed to this position in the country. She was elected to the position in September 2020.
María Rosa Ondo has a degree in marketing and sales action. She has played for several clubs in Equatorial Guinea as well as for the national under-20 team and the senior team. She has also coached the women’s club Malabo King, the current league champion.
Bisila Bokoko businesswoman and philanthropist (Equatorial Guinea/Spain)
Bisila Bokoko is a Spanish-born businesswoman of Equatorial Guinean parents. For 7 years, she held the position of Executive Director of the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce in New York. In 2012, Bisila Bokoko launched BBES, her consulting firm. She also launched her wine brand “Bisila Wines,” made in Spain.
Bisila Bokoko has also worked for EMPRETEC, a United Nations program that supports emerging entrepreneurs. She led the women’s program and actively worked to support women entrepreneurs in their efforts to launch impactful businesses.
Bisila Bokoko has shared her business expertise and inspirational journey with audiences around the world.
A philanthropist, she is the founder of BBALP, a non-profit organization committed to building libraries in Africa and currently operating in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda.
Bisila Bokoko holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Economics from the University of San Pablo, Madrid. She also holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from City College, New York.
Joana Gomes Rosa Amado, Minister of Justice of Cape Verde
Joana Gomes Rosa Amado is the current Minister of Justice of Cape Verde and is one of the women who hold a government ministry in the archipelago. She has a law degree, a post-graduate degree in banking law, governance and administration and a Master’s degree in governance and administration. A lawyer and legal consultant, she was elected as a national deputy and was vice-president of the parliamentary group of the Movement for Democracy (MPD), the ruling party in Cape Verde.
Joana Gomes Rosa Amado was also vice-president of the network of women parliamentarians. Also in the Parliament of Cape Verde, she has always been part of the committees on legal issues. She has also been a consultant for the World Bank, the FAO and president of the Municipal Assembly of the municipality of Maio, one of the Sotavento islands located in the south of the Cape Verde archipelago.
Noelma Viegas D’Abreu CEO (President of the Executive Committee) of Banco Angolano de investimentos (BAI) Academy and BAI Foundation (Angola)
Since December 2010, Noelma Viegas D’Abreu is the CEO of the Academy of Banco Angolano de investimentos, an Angolan bank created in 1996. The BAI Academy is designed for all professionals who seek to improve and develop their technical and behavioral skills. Noelma Viegas D’Abreu is also the CEO of the BAI Foundation since November 2020.
Noelma Viegas D’Abreu is a specialist in clinical psychology, human resources management, business management, especially the management of educational institutions. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Lisbon. She also holds a Master’s degree in Management and Leadership from the Catholic University of Portugal and an Executive Education, “Leading Economic Growth”, from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT) of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa; a member of the Angola – India Business Council, the Indian Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry; a member of the Angola Human Resources Community (CRH) and a member of the Women’s Leadership Group in Angola (LFA).
For the past 20 years, Noelma Viegas D’Abreu has been a professor in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, a speaker at national and international conferences, and a trainer since 1999.
Prior to directing the Academy and the BAI Foundation, she was a Manager at KPMG Angolas; Executive Director of the Center for Research and Scientific Studies of the Catholic University of Angola; and Director of Human Resources at SAB Miller /Coca-Cola Botling in Angola.
Noelma Viegas D’Abreu was also an executive member of the Heidrick & Struggles Board of Directors for projects in Angola. Heidrick & Struggles is an international executive search firm based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Noelma Viegas D’Abreu is the author of the book “Between Dreams and Delirium” on psychology and interpersonal relationships. She has also published articles on clinical and social psychology, human resource management, leadership, identity and other social issues in scientific journals and magazines.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Carlos Monteiro, one of the young ministers of the Cape Verdean government
Carlos Monteiro is one of the young ministers in the government of Cape Verde. He is currently the Vice-Minister to the Prime Minister, in charge of Youth and Sport. He has a degree in law and was director of the cabinet of the Prime Minister of Cape Verde and also his advisor for youth.
Carlos Monteiro was a professor at the Higher Institute of Economic and Commercial Sciences in Cape Verde. He was a member of the Permanent Commission for Property Assessment of the Municipality of Praia. In the previous government, he was Deputy Secretary of State to the Prime Minister.
Miryan Djamila Sena Vieira, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Cape Verde
Myriam Djamila Sena Vieira is also one of the young personalities in the government of Cape Verde. She is currently Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
A career diplomat, she holds a degree in international relations.
She has served as advisor to the Permanent Mission of Cape Verde to the United Nations, secretary of the National Directorate for Political Affairs and Cooperation of the Multilateral Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde, official of the Directorate General for International Cooperation and national coordinator of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
Myriam Djamila Sena Vieira was also a secondary school French teacher in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.
Eurídice Furtado Monteiro, Secretary of State for Higher Education of Cape Verde
Eurídice Furtado Monteiro is the Secretary of State for Higher Education of Cape Verde. With a doctorate in sociology, she has been a university professor, director of a scientific research center, executive coordinator of research, director of specialized magazines, director of national and international scientific associations, editor, writer and social activist. Also at the university level, Eurídice Furtado Monteiro has been co-coordinator of a master’s and doctoral program in social sciences, professor of public security, international relations and economic diplomacy, and ethics and political philosophy. She has taught undergraduate courses in journalism, international relations and diplomacy, philosophy, social sciences and education. She has dedicated herself to research on democracy and political, social and cultural processes in Cape Verde, from a comparative perspective. In addition to scientific articles in journals and specialized collections, she is the author of academic books as well as novels and stories for children.
Eurídice Furtado Monteiro is also a newspaper columnist and political commentator on radio and television.
Rosa Malango, first woman in Equatorial Guinea to hold a senior position at the UN
Rosa Malango has been the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Uganda since March 2016. She is the first woman in Equatorial Guinea to hold a senior position at the UN. An activist, humanitarian, author and diplomat, Rosa Malango has over 25 years of professional experience with the UN at headquarters in New York and in the field. She started in the UN system at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as a volunteer, working on social campaigns in Angola.
Prior to her current position in Uganda, Rosa Malango served as the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office, United Nations Development Program in Guatemala. Prior to that, from November 2011 to January 2015, she worked at the UN headquarters in New York as the Head of External Relations and Partnerships for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Prior to that, from February 2007 to November 2011, she was Chief of OCHA Africa II, where she was responsible for managing the Africa II section covering the Horn of Africa (including Kenya, Eritrea and Ethiopia), West Africa (including the Sahel and Mano River Union), Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, as well as OCHA’s relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.
Prior to joining OCHA, Rosa Malango served as Regional Advisor and Deputy Regional Coordinator for the World Food Programme (WFP), based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Rosa Malango holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, Nigeria; a degree in International Relations, specializing in the prevention of armed conflict, from Columbia University, USA; and an Executive Education Certificate, Emerging Leaders from the Harvard Kennedy School, USA. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French and is learning Mandarin. She is the mother of two boys.
Susana Edjang, United Nations official (Equatorial Guinea)
Susana Edjang is an international development, global health, policy and advocacy specialist. Since June 2020, she has been the Policy and Partnerships Advisor (South-South and Triangular Cooperation) at the World Food Programme in Rome, Italy, headquarters of the WFP. Long before that, she was Minister Counselor (Security Council Affairs) at the Permanent Mission of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations. Prior to that, she worked as a policy and advocacy specialist at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) liaison office to the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Prior to UNFPA, Susana Edjang worked for more than five years in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General, as an economic, social and development affairs officer and as project manager for his Every Woman Every Child movement. Previously, she was the H4+ (UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, WHO and the World Bank) coordinator at UNFPA for advancing the health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015, as defined by the United Nations.
Susana Edjang has also served as Parliamentary Advisor on Global Health and Climate Change in the UK Parliament, and has promoted institutional partnership between UK health institutions and their counterparts in Africa and Asia.
Susana Edjang has co-founded and participated in various initiatives on global health and community innovation of the African diaspora in Africa, Europe and Latin America.
She holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in African Economics, from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London; a degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Madrid, Spain; and has participated in the Yale World Fellow Program, an international fellowship program at Yale University for rising global leaders.
Susana Edjang is the author and co-author of several publications.
Veronica Macamo (Mozambique), first woman president of the National Assembly in Mozambique
Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlovo is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Mozambique. Previously, she was President of the Mozambican Parliament (from January 2010 to January 2020), the first Mozambican woman to hold this position in the country. She was elected with a total of 192 votes out of 194. As Speaker of the Assembly, Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlovoest is known for her strong personality. She has given her opinion on matters related to politics in Mozambique and has played an important role in the passage of laws, including laws regarding teenage marriage and child abuse. Prior to that, she was elected to the provincial assembly of Gaza Province, Mozambique.
In 1994, Veronica Macamo became vice-president of Parliament, a position she held for 15 years. In 2004, she was also a member of the Pan-African Parliament.
Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlovo, is a member of Frelimo and began her career as a politician in the province of Gaza as a member of the Mozambican Women’s Organization.
Before becoming president of the National Assembly, Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlovo began working for Frelimo before and after Mozambique’s independence, including social work in the Political Commission of the Military Political Preparation in Moamba from 1975 to 1977.
Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlovo has been a legal advisor for companies since then, as well as an advisor and president of the board of directors of the Tourism Fund from 2000 to 2009.
Luisa Diogo, first female Prime Minister of Mozambique
Luisa Dias Diogo was appointed Prime Minister of Mozambique in February 2004, becoming the first woman to hold the position in that country. She served in this position until January 2010. As Prime Minister, she earned a reputation as a progressive reformer, passionate activist and savvy businesswoman.
Luisa Diogo was born on April 11, 1958, in Tete Province, western Mozambique. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo and continued her studies at the University of London, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Financial Economics in 1992. In 1980, while still at university, Luisa Diogo began working at the Mozambican Ministry of Finance. When she joined the Ministry of Finance, the country was in the fifth year of a civil war between two factions in Mozambique: the Mozambique Liberation Front (FREMILO), a coalition of anti-Portuguese liberation groups supported by the communists who helped Portugal gain independence from Portugal, and the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), an anti-communist political organization. Luisa Diogo rose quickly through the ranks of the Ministry of Finance, becoming head of department in 1986. In 1989, she was appointed national budget director and remained in that position for four years. After earning her master’s degree in economics, she worked for the World Bank as a program officer in Mozambique.
After the 1994 elections in Mozambique, former President Joaquim Chissano invited Luisa Diogo to leave the World Bank and join the FREMILO government as Vice Minister of Finance. In this position, Diogo played a key role in drafting and implementing the government’s first five-year development plan. Because the country was still reeling from the civil war, the main objective of the plan was to consolidate peace within Mozambique’s borders. In 1999, the second five-year development plan could focus on economic reform. That same year, Luisa Diogo was promoted to Minister of Finance and immediately began to address Mozambique’s biggest problems: poverty and economic growth. She served as Mozambique’s Finance Minister for five years, from 1999 to 2004.
In February 2004, Mozambique’s Prime Minister, Pascoal Mocumbi, resigned from his post to take a senior position at the World Health Organization (WHO). President Chisanno chose Luisa Diogo to replace Pascoal Mocumbi as Prime Minister, while also retaining the position of Finance Minister until the December 2004 elections. She was Prime Minister until January 2010.
Currently Luisa Diogo is engaged in the fight for gender equality and women’s empowerment through the Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians (MUNIPA), whose objective is to strengthen advocacy and lobbying for policies and legislation that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. Luisa Diogo is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize women leaders at the highest levels of the world for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Lígia Fonseca, Former First Lady of Cape Verde and First Woman President of the Cape Verde Lawyers Association
Lígia Arcângela Lubrino Dias Fonseca is a Mozambican and Cape Verdean lawyer, activist and politician who has been the first lady of Cape Verde since 2011. She is married to Cape Verdean President Jorge Carlos Fonseca. In 2001, Lígia Fonseca became the first woman elected president of the Cape Verdean Lawyers Association (OAC), the country’s national bar association.
Lígia Arcângela Lubrino Dias Fonseca was born on August 24, 1963 in Beira, Mozambique. She holds a law degree from the University of Lisbon, obtained in 1987. It was while studying at the university that she met her husband, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, the current president of Cape Verde. After finishing their studies, they got married in 1989 and the couple moved to Macau, where Lígia Fonseca worked in the public sector. The couple returned to Cape Verde in 1991, where Lígia Fonseca practiced law in Praia, the capital, on the island of Santiago. In 2001, she became the first elected president of the Cape Verdean Bar Association, where she served until 2004. In this capacity, Lígia Fonseca was instrumental in drafting legal and policy documents for the Government of Cape Verde, such as the Business Code (1999), the Real Estate Marketing Code (2012), the Penal Code (2003) and the Ports Law (2009). The First Lady is also a prominent legal scholar, co-authoring the “Guide to Women’s Rights”, published by the Institute on the Status of Women in 1997. Since then, the First Lady has remained an active writer, publishing several articles in Cape Verde.
As First Lady, Lígia Arcângela Lubrino Dias Fonseca focuses mainly on citizenship education, the defense of human rights and the promotion of gender equality. She is the honorary patron of the Aldeias Infantis SOS daycare centers, as well as of the COLMEIA Association, a non-profit organization that supports children with special needs. The First Lady of Cape Verde also heads the Natal Solidaria Project, which organizes Christmas parties for needy children in Cape Verde.
Outside of Cape Verde, Lígia Arcângela Lubrino Dias Fonseca has championed numerous causes to benefit children and people in need in other countries including Mozambique and the USA.
In 2014, Lígia Fonseca received the Global Inspirational Leadership Award from the Center for Economic Development and Leadership, an NGO under the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The following year in 2015, she received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the African Horizons Forum and was even the keynote speaker for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Maria do Ceu Monteiro, Former President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Guinea-Bissau, (2008-2012)
Maria do Ceu Monteiro was elected President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Guinea-Bissau in 2008, after the position had been vacant for 2 years. She held this position until December 2012. Maria do Ceu Monteiro studied at the New University of Lisbon and was a judge in Guinea-Bissau, before her election as a Supreme Court judge. She was also president of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a position she held for a two-year term from 2014 to 2016.
Vera Duarte, First woman judge in Cape Verde
Vera Valentina Benrós de Melo Duarte Lobo de Pina, also known as Vera Duarte, is a human rights activist, poet, politician and judge from Cape Verde. She was born on October 2, 1952 in São Vincente, an island in Cape Verde. In addition to being the first female judge in Cape Verde, Vera Duarte was also the first woman to be appointed, in 1993, as a Commissioner to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
She graduated in law in 1976 from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, one year before her country’s independence. After returning from Lisbon, Vera Duarte moved to Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, and began working as an advisory judge at the Supreme Court of Justice, after having served as director general at the Ministry of Justice and as prosecutor for the cities of Praia and Mindelo. She also served as Minister of Education and President of the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship. At the time, the commission recommended that the government adopt the Cape Verdean curriculum on citizenship education, where all issues related to the civic education of students could be addressed. The government accepted the recommendation and launched the curriculum revision project.
Vera Duarte’s work with the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship paved the way for the improvement of the curriculum in all schools in Cape Verde.
Also a poet, Vera Duarte won the national poetry contest organized by the Cape Verdean women’s organization in 1981. In 1993, under the direction of Arnaldo França, she published her first book of poems.
Vera Duarte Duarte was and still is a pioneer in her multiple fields because she was often the first woman to enter certain spaces and to operate changes in those spaces.
Miguel Monteiro, President of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange.
Since March 2021, Miguel Monteiro has been the President of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange. Prior to that, he was a national deputy in Cape Verde for 10 years, elected on behalf of the ruling Movement for Democracy (MPD). Miguel Monteiro was elected in Santiago Sul, the largest island in the Cape Verde archipelago. From 2011 to 2013, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Assembly; vice president of the parliamentary chamber and member of the specialized committee on finance and budget. From 2016 to February 2021, Miguel Monteiro was Secretary of the Board of Directors of the National Assembly of Cape Verde.
Before entering politics, Miguel Monteiro was an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Praia, from 2000 to 2002. He also worked at Banco Macro, S.A. and at Tecnicil Trading.
Miguel Monteiro holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, obtained in 2000 at the Lisbon School of Economics & Management, in Lisbon, Portugal.
Januária Tavares Silva Moreira Costa, Judge at the ECOWAS Court of Justice (Cape Verde)
Judge Januària Costa is a Cape Verdean lawyer with a law degree from the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Law. She is currently a judge at the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Judge Costa was registered as a lawyer with the Portuguese Bar Association and started a law practice there in 1991. In 1993, she served as Director of the Judicial Component of the World Bank-funded “Public Sector Reform and Capacity Building” project. In 1995, she was a correspondent of the Permanent Secretariat of the Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Portuguese-speaking Countries and was a member of the organizing committee of the Fourth Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Portuguese-speaking Countries. In 1996, she was advisor to the Minister of Justice of Cape Verde and was elected judge of law in the Cape Verdean city of São Filipe. She was transferred as a judge of law to the Civil Court of the District of Santa Catarina in 1998 and in 1999, was chosen as a judge of law at the Auxiliary Civil Court of Praia.
Judge Januària Costa was president of the Council of Social Communication of Cape Verde in 1999 and was Minister of Justice from 1999 to 2001. In 2005, she was judge of the 4th Civil Court of Comarca da Praia.
Januària Costa was a professor at the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde between 2009 and 2011, and was a member of the Superior Council of the Judiciary from 2009 to 2012.
Judge Januària Costa received additional training in Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Fundamental Rights, and attended a training course for judges at the Center for Judicial Studies of Lisbon in 1995. In 2006, she participated in the first training course on environmental law for Portuguese-speaking countries.
José de Lima Massano, governor of the national bank of Angola
Since October 30, 2017, José de Lima Massano is governor of the National Bank of Angola (BNA), replacing Walter Filipe Duarte da Silva. José de Lima Massano began his career in 1997 at Sonangol, the state-owned company responsible for the exploitation and production of oil and natural gas in Angola. He worked in the accounting department, after having been a member of the board of directors of Banco de Poupança e Crédito. In 2006, he became president of the executive committee of the Angolan Investment Bank (BAI), a position he held until 2010, when he was appointed, for the first time, governor of the National Bank of Angola. In 2015, he returned to BAI as Chairman of the Executive Committee.
José de Lima Massano holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from City University, London, 1996. He also graduated in Accounting and Finance from the University of Salford, UK, in 1995.
Dr. Emilia Nhalevilo, First female rector of a public university in Mozambique
In March 2019, Mozambican professor Emília Nhalevilo took office as dean of the Púnguè University, established in February 2019 , becoming the first woman to head a public university in Mozambique. She was appointed by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, for a four-year term.
Born in Nampula, Mozambique’s most populous province, Dr. Emilia Nhalevilo holds a doctorate and master’s degree in education from the University of Perth, Australia, and a bachelor’s degree in science education from the Universidade Pedagogica (UP) of Mozambique.
From 2005 to 2007, she worked as a professor at Curtin University of Technology, Australia. In 2008, Dr. Emilia Nhalevilo became head of the Department of Chemistry at UP, and then took up her position as Deputy Director of the Center for Studies and Ethnosciences of Mozambique, a research center at the same institution.
In 2017, she was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program fellow at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, USA.
Prior to taking over the leadership of Púnguè University, Dr. Emilia Nhalevilo was the Associate Dean for Research and Extension at UP since 2018.
Dr. Emilia Nhalevilo is the President of the African Association for the Study of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AASIKS). Her main research interests are in two main areas: science education and indigenous knowledge system.
Judite Nascimento, First female Rector of the University of Cape Verde
Since January 2014, Judite Nascimento has been the Rector of the University of Cape Verde (UNI-CV), the first woman to hold this position. She holds a PhD in “Geography, Spatial Planning and Urbanism” from the University of Rouen (France), a Master’s degree in “Human Geography and Territorial and Local Planning” from the University of Lisbon and graduated in Geography from Kharkov State University (Ukraine).
Óscar Humberto Évora Santos, Governor of the Central Bank of Cape Verde
Governor of the Central Bank of Cape Verde since January 4, 2021, Óscar Humberto Évora Santos was born on September 8, 1960 in Lém Ferreira, in the city of Praia, the capital of the country. He has a degree in Economic Theory and Quantitative Methods and a Master’s Degree in Economics, specializing in Commerce and Finance from American University, Washington DC, USA.
Óscar Humberto Évora Santos was President (2016 to 2020) and Councilor for Finance and Trade (2008 to 2016) at the Praia City Council. He joined the Bank of Cape Verde in 1991 in the Studies and Statistics Department. In 1994, he was asked by the government to work on a World Bank project for the restructuring of the vocational training sector in Cape Verde and in 2000 was selected to be the coordinator of an employment promotion project, funded by the United Nations. Back at the Central Bank of Cape Verde, from 2002 to 2013, he served as technical advisor, coordinator of economic studies and member of the monetary policy committee. He also served as a consultant and participated in the preparation of several studies.
Óscar Humberto Évora Santos is co-author of the White Paper on Vocational Training, an exhaustive diagnosis of training and employment structures, the Strategic Plan for Vocational Training in Cape Verde and author of the study: “Analysis of the impact of Cape Verde’s membership in the World Trade Organization” (WTO). He has also written articles on the potential of GDP growth in Cape Verde, as a technician at the Bank of Cape Verde.
Óscar Humberto Évora Santos has also worked as a professor of economics at the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde, at the Instituto Superior Ciências Económicas e Empresariais and at the Instituto de Ciências Jurídicas. He was president of the Cape Verdean Association of Economists and president of the Cape Verdean Federation of Tae Kwon Do.
Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua, general manager of the national bank of Equatorial Guinea
Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua has been the general manager of the National Bank of Equatorial Guinea (BANGE) since 2012, a bank that was on the verge of bankruptcy at the time and which he turned around. Prior to his appointment, he worked at Santander Bank, the leading bank in Spain and one of the best in Europe.
Born on July 21, 1976 in Andom-Onvang, Nsok-Nsomo District, Manuel Osa has lived in Spain since the age of 6. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Science and another in Economics, both from the University of the Balearic Islands. In 2005, he also obtained a Master’s degree in Financial Management and Business Accounting from the Pompeu-Fabra University in Barcelona.
Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua began his career at the Directorate General of Economy of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, before joining the Santander Bank, after a few months. Within the Santander bank, he started in Palma de Mallorca, as a client manager, before occupying, for 5 years, the position of executive director. He was then promoted to branch general manager. In 2012, the Minister of Finance of Equatorial Guinea asked him to return to the country to conduct an audit of BANGE. He will become the general manager until today.
Ivan Bacale Ebe Molina, Director General of Studies, Finance and International Relations at the Bank of Central African States (Equatorial Guinea)
Originally from Equatorial Guinea, Ivan Bacale Ebe Molina started at the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) at the age of 25. It is since February 6, 2017 that he joined the BEAC government as director of studies, finance and international relations. Upon his recruitment to BEAC, Ivan Bacale Ebe Molina was made available to the General Secretariat of the Banking Commission of Central Africa, where he will hold several positions: study officer, inspector and deputy head of mission. In 2008, he was appointed Deputy Director of Credit, Capital Markets and Banking Supervision. The same year, he was appointed Deputy Director of Financial Operations, a position he held until 2011, before being appointed National Director of BEAC and Governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Equatorial Guinea.
Ivan Bacale Ebe Molina holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a certificate from the French Financial Markets Authority. He has also completed several training courses, notably in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
A black belt in Karate, Ivan Bacale Ebe Molina is married and has three children.
Américo Soares de Barros, governor of the central bank of Sao Tome and Principe
Américo Soares de Barros has been governor of the Central Bank of Sao Tome and Principe (BCSTP) since January 2, 2019. Vice president of the political party “Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe”, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank.
Américo Soares de Barros holds a Master’s degree in Monetary Economics from the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil (2005-2007) and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the State University of Maringa, Brazil (1998/2002). He has spent his entire career at the Central Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe, where he has held several positions: technician in the studies and statistics department; inspector of banking supervision; deputy director of banking supervision at the BCSTP; and director of markets.
Filipe Nascimento, 31, President of the Government of the Autonomous Region of Principe (Sao Tome and Principe)
Since August 18, 2020, Filipe Nascimento is the president of the regional government of Principe. It was during the Congress of the Union for Progress and Change of Principe of November 16, 2019, that he was elected president of the party and designated future president of the regional government of Principe, two functions that were occupied, for fourteen years, by the founder of the party José Cassandra. The swearing-in ceremony of Filipe Nascimento was presided over by the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, Jorge Bom Jesus.
Filipe Nascimento was born in Nova Estrela (locality in the south of Principe island) of Cape Verdean parents. He graduated in Law from the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Clássica de Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal. At the same school, he completed post-graduate studies in Banking Law, Commercial Company Law, and Legislation and Legal Sciences. He also took an intensive course on preparing for a diplomatic career and completed a Master’s degree in Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law. He also participated in part of the Executive MBA, Master of Business Administration at INDEG/Executive Education of ISCTE, the first business school in Portugal to offer executive education.
Before returning to Sao Tome and Principe in 2019, Filipe Nascimento moved to Portugal. He worked at MC Donald’s restaurant; was a driver for a bakery; a cab driver in Lisbon; a lawyer at the Portuguese Bar Association; assistant and advisor to the vice-president of the municipality of Oeiras (west of the Lisbon agglomeration), Mestre Francisco Rocha Gonçalves; member of the Advisory Board of IPDAL – Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as a lawyer and senior technician at the municipality of Oeiras, who became a civil servant by public tender.
Ivone Bila, First woman elected as MP of Mozambicans in the Diaspora
The first woman elected as a member of parliament for Mozambicans in the diaspora, in the October 15, 2019 elections, Ivone Bila took office in January 2020 in Maputo in the new Mozambican Parliament, composed of 250 deputies.
Living in Coimbra, Portugal, for 28 years, Ivone Bila was a secondary school teacher in Mozambique. She has a law degree from the University of Coimbra (FDUC) and is currently doing a Master’s degree in Legal and Forensic Sciences. She also has a postgraduate degree in Economic and International Criminal Law and has been trained in conflict management. Prior to her election, Ivone Bila worked as secretary of the Mozambican Women’s Organization (OMM) in Coimbra and in the central zone of Portugal, the first of the diaspora, for more than fifteen years. As part of her work as a member of parliament, she divides her time between Portugal and Mozambique, where she participates in ordinary and extraordinary sessions of parliament, meets with her electoral circle and visits other countries where there are Mozambicans.
Sarifa Fagilde, first woman to hold a PhD in mathematics in Mozambique
In October 2020, Sarifa Fagilde became the first female full professor of mathematics at the University of Maputo after defending her dissertation entitled “The Light for a New Paradigm in Mathematics Education”. Sarifa Fagilde is currently Vice-Rector of the University of Rovuma, UniRovuma and has over 40 years of teaching experience. She is also the first woman to obtain a PhD in Mathematics in Mozambique.
In addition, Sarifa Fagilde was an athlete and Mozambican high jump champion as well as president of the Mozambican Athletics Federation. She has studied in South Africa at the University of the Western Cape, Australia and Mozambique.
Sidónia Massangaie, Mozambique’s first female naval commander
Sidónia Massangaie is the first female “Commodore” (Navy Commander) in Mozambique. In terms of hierarchy, she is the second most important person in the country’s Navy. Before specializing in gynecology, Sidónia Massangaie worked for years in several military training centers. “I didn’t go directly to the Navy branch. I stayed in the army branch. I went to work at the basic training center in Munguine, Maputo province, where I was trained. I worked as a doctor for about three or four years. After that, I went to the specialty course. In four years, I did gynecology and obstetrics at the Central Hospital of Maputo and, after that, I returned to the Military Hospital of Maputo, in the gynecology department,” she said in an interview.
Two years later, Sidónia Massangaie went to Portugal to train as a senior naval officer at the Instituto de Estudos Superiores Militares in Lisbon, before returning to Mozambique. In addition to being the first woman to hold the rank of Commodore, Sidónia Massangaie is also the Director of the Military Health Department at the General Staff of the Mozambican Armed Forces.
Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane, Minister of Gender and daughter of Eduardo Mondlane, one of Mozambique’s fathers of independence
Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane is the current Minister of Gender, Children and Social Action in Mozambique and was Minister of Youth and Sports in the previous government.
She was born on January 17, 1962 in Onandagua, Syracuse, New York, United States of America. She is the daughter of Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane, one of the fathers of Mozambique’s independence (along with Samora Machel), a professor and holder of a doctorate in Anthropology, and the American Janet Rae Mondlane, holder of a doctorate in Sociology.
Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane attended primary school in Tanzania until 1970. She then moved to Mozambique, where she continued her secondary education at FRELIMO Secondary School, Bagamoyo, in 1974, and at FRELIMO Secondary School in Ribaué, Nampula Province, until 1980. In 1987, she obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Social Anthropology) from the University of Manchester, UK. Subsequently, she obtained a Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and, at a distance, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Liverpool.
Throughout her career, Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane has worked in several institutions. She is a founding member of the Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane Foundation, established in 1999. She also served as a national congresswoman between 2009 and 2015.
Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane is a member of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), the country’s ruling and historic party. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Association of Combatants of the National Liberation Struggle (ACLLN), the Mozambican Women’s Organization (OMM), and the Sommerschield March 8 cell in Maputo.
Nilza de Sena, politician and former Member of Parliament of Portugal
Nilza Marília Mouzinho de Sena was born on November 21, 1976 in Maputo, Mozambique. A professor of political science, she was a member of the Portuguese Parliament between 2011 and 2019, for the Social Democratic Party. Nilza de Sena was born to parents from Goa, India, and Mozambique.
She holds a PhD in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Political Science. She is, among other things, a professor at the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon.
Anibal Manave, Africa President of the International Basketball Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Basketball Africa League.
Anibal Aurelio Manave, a native of Mozambique, was elected as the ninth president of the Africa section of the International Basketball Association Federation (FIBA), at the end of the General Assembly of the African basketball governing body, held from 22 to 23 June 2019 in Bamako, Mali. He was elected for a term of four years ending in 2023.
Anibal Aurelio Manave is also currently president of the Mozambique Olympic Committee and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Basketball Africa League, a competition organized by FIBA in collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A former player, coach and technical commissioner, Anibal Manave, a civil engineer by profession, has been involved in basketball activities at the national and continental levels for over 30 years. He won eight national titles as a player, as well as the African Club Champions title in 1985 with Clube Desportivo Maxaquene of Mozambique.
Anibal Manave also served as President of FIBA Africa Zone 6 from 2008 to 2019 and President of the Mozambican Basketball Federation from 1999 to 2007.
Nélia Mazula, engineer and artificial intelligence specialist (Mozambique/USA)
Nélia Mazula, who lives in River Oaks, Houston, is an innovator, engineer and digital transformation strategist. She is currently Global Account Manager at Siemens PLM Software, a subsidiary of the multinational Siemens, which specializes in the 3D software and PLM (product lifecycle management) market. In this capacity, she works with oil and gas executives to develop digital and automation strategies to increase productivity and support profit goals. Between 2012 and 2017, Nélia Mazula also worked, in various capacities, for Dassault Systèmes, a subsidiary of the French group Dassault, and which is a software company specializing in 3D design, 3D digital modeling and solutions for product lifecycle management.
In 2020, the Society of Women Engineers, headquartered in Houston, USA, awarded Nélia Mazula the Patent Recognition Award for her software patents focused on augmented reality, big data visualization and artificial intelligence. The Society of Women Engineers is the world’s largest organization of women in engineering and technology.
The Patent Recognition Awards recognize SWE members who have earned a patent in the last 10 years. Nealia Mazula holds five patents: augmented reality updating of 3D CAD models; laser scan re-engineering of 3D CAD models; density-based graphical mapping; frequency-based integrated search and 3D graphical data processing; and 2D 3D re-imaging for research.
Nélia Mazula’s patents have essentially helped digitize engineering in the oil and gas industry, she explained. “If you go to Google Maps, you can now see a city in 3D. What the oil and gas industry has been trying to figure out for a long time now is, ‘How can we do this with a plant? Or with a platform? ‘ That’s where my patents come in,” said Nélia Mazula. Her patents could save oil and gas companies money because they can essentially allow engineers to virtually visualize rigs, without ever having to go on site. Patents are becoming even more important because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as remote work becomes the new norm.
Nélia Mazula was born in Mozambique but moved to the US when she was young. She got into STEM in high school when one of her teachers recommended her to a STEM camp at a local university, which prompted her to major in engineering in college.
After college, Nélia Mazula returned to Mozambique and worked for the national oil company in Mozambique on a natural gas project. The project eventually directed her career to the oil and gas industry after she saw its benefit in parts of Mozambique, especially in infrastructure.
Nealia Mazula holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona in the USA and a Global Executive MBA from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD).
Joacine Katar Moreira, deputy in the National Assembly of Portugal (Guinea Bissau)
Joacine Katar Moreira was elected as a deputy in the legislative elections held on Sunday, October 6, 2019 in Portugal. Originally from Guinea Bissau and arrived in Portugal at the age of 8, the 37-year-old teacher, freshly entered politics revealed herself during the European elections of May 2016, during which the Portuguese press presented her as the “first black woman candidate in an eligible position.” She was not elected in these elections, but in 2019 she was again nominated as head of the list in Lisbon for the party “Book” (Libre) for the legislative elections held on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
She was thus the first black woman of African descent to head the list for legislative elections in Portugal. Founded in 2014 by former MEP Rui Tavares, the “Book” party calls itself “libertarian, ecological and cosmopolitan left”. A teacher and researcher at the University Institute of Lisbon, Joacine Katar Moreira is also the co-founder, since the end of 2018, of the Institute of Black Women (Inmune, Instituto da Mulher Negra), of which she is the president. Objective: to promote the image of migrant women with degrees and out of the subordinate roles that “are part of the usual image that we have of black women.”
Joacine Katar Moreira holds a doctorate in African Studies from the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL); a master’s degree in Development Studies and a degree in Modern and Contemporary History, Management and Animation of Cultural Assets. Born and raised in Guinea-Bissau by her grandmother (as her parents were still 18 and 19 years old), her grandmother sent her to Portugal at the age of 8 to join a boarding school and to escape a politically unstable country at the time.
Beatriz Gomes Dias, national deputy in Portugal (Guinea Bissau)
Beatriz Gomes Dias was also elected as a Member of Parliament in the legislative elections held on Sunday, October 6, 2019 in Portugal. Aged 50, she was born in Dakar, Senegal, and has lived in Lisbon for 44 years. Member of the Municipal Assembly of Lisbon, Beatriz Gomes Diaz occupied the third place in the list of candidates in Lisbon that the Left Bloc presented in the 2019 legislative elections.
Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Faculty of Science of the University of Coimbra, Portugal Beatriz Gomes Dias is currently taking a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the New University of Lisbon. She is a biology teacher in primary and secondary schools in Lisbon and is also a union delegate for the teachers’ union of Greater Lisbon.
An anti-racist activist, Beatriz Gomes Dias is a member of SOS Racism and founder and director of Djass – Association of Afrodescendants in Portugal.
Beatriz Gomes Dias arrived in Portugal at the age of four, accompanied by her parents, political activists in the liberation struggles in Guinea-Bissau. It was her parents who helped her, early in life, to “develop tools to learn to cope” with discrimination.
In Portugal, Beatriz Gomes Dias is the initiator of “Slavery Memorial,” an organization soon to be created in Lisbon to help historically contextualize the history of the six million slave trade in the Portuguese empire and to become aware of the influence of the African community in Portuguese culture today.
Romualda Fernandes, national deputy in Portugal (Guinea Bissau)
Romualda Fernandes was also elected as a Member of Parliament in 2019, during the legislative elections held on Sunday, October 6 in Portugal. Also from Guinea Bissau, Romualda Fernandes, 67, was on a list chaired by the secretary general of the Portuguese Socialist Party. She was a councillor at the Lisbon City Hall.
Romualda Fernandes is also legal advisor to the first High Commissioner for Integration and Ethnic Minorities (ACIME) and consultant to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
A socialist activist for 20 years, Romualda Fernandes has lived in Portugal for 52 years, a country where she arrived at the age of 13. She has lived and worked between Guinea-Bissau and Portugal.
After completing her law studies in 1980, Romualda Fernandes attended a postgraduate program in international law applied to economics, nationalities, foreign affairs and humanitarian law at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales (IHEI) of the University Panthéon-Assas – Paris II, in France.
In Portugal, after completing the Third Special Course of Judicial Training at the Center for Judicial Studies, she began her professional activity in 1984, as a judge at the Civil Court of the Palace of Justice, under the direction of Judge Fernando José de Matos Pinto Monteiro, as well as at the Correctional and Criminal Court of Boa Hora.
In Guinea-Bissau, Romualda Fernandes served as delegate of the Public Prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General of the Republic and member of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, in charge of disciplinary and inspection tasks.
Also in Guinea-Bissau, she served as legal advisor in the area of judicial reform for the privatization of public enterprises, in the framework of the Trade and Investment Support Project implemented by a US development agency in Guinea-Bissau.
Back in Portugal, Romualda Fernandes worked for about 16 years as an assistant in government offices, which allowed her to gain experience in advisory areas, including the International Organization for Migration – IOM, the Directorate General of Consular Affairs and Portuguese Communities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for migration issues.
Joaquina Ferreira do Nascimento, President of the Civil, Administrative, Fiscal and Customs Chamber of the Supreme Court of Angola
Joaquina Ferreira do Nascimento has been an advisory judge of the Supreme Court in Angola since 2005. She is currently President of the Civil, Administrative, Fiscal and Customs Chamber of the Supreme Court of Angola. Joaquina do Nascimento is known for her professional rigor. She was the one who, in May 2012, made the final decision to remove lawyer Suzana Inglês, who illegally held the presidency of the CNE, the body responsible for conducting elections in Angola.
Joaquina Ferreira do Nascimento has a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Classica de Lisboa, Portugal. She also holds a degree in International Business from the Agostinho Neto University, Angola. She was a member of the Judicial Reform Commission in Angola and represented the Angolan Ministry of Justice in several commissions related to the protection of children’s rights.
Joaquina Ferreira do Nascimento is a professor of law at Agostinho Neto University. She teaches civil procedure law. She is also a professor and director of courses for the judiciary at the National Institute of Judicial Studies, Angola.
Manuel Lima, former President of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange
From December 2014 to August 2020, Manuel Lima served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cape Verde Stock Exchange. Between 2007 and 2014, he served as General Coordinator of the Stock Exchange and Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Prior to that, between 2003 and 2007, Manuel Lima was Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Sotavento Islands, the group of islands that make up the southern part of the Cape Verde archipelago, opposite the Barlavento Islands, the northern islands of the archipelago. He also held, among others, the position of technical advisor to Banco de Cabo Verde in the Department of Statistics and Economic Studies in the area of balance of payments statistics and studies of the Cape Verdean economy, with the specific task of balancing services, foreign investment and analysis of the situation.
Manuel Lima holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão (ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão da Universidade de Lisboa), in Lisbon, Portugal.
He also holds a degree in Global Management from the Higher Institute of Business Sciences.
José Cassandra, former President of the Autonomous Region of Principe for 14 years (Principe)
José Cardoso dos Ramos Cassandra, nicknamed Tozé Cassandra, was president of the autonomous region of Principe for 14 years, from 2006 to August 2020. He resigned from his position citing personal reasons. In 2006, José Cardoso Cassandra founded the Union for Progress and Change in Principe (UMPP). In the 2006 regional elections, the UMPP obtained all the seats in the Regional Assembly of Principe. As a result, José Cardoso Cassandra was appointed president of the regional government of Principe on October 5th 2006. The UMPP won all the following elections and José Cardoso Cassandra was re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Born on February 17, 1964 in Principe, José Cardoso Cassandra is president of the executive committee of the União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas (Union of Luso-African-American-Asian Capitals).
Egidio Monteiro, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Southern Africa (Angola)
Since September 2018, Egidio Monteiro is the CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Southern Africa. DHL Global Forwarding is the leading international provider of air, ocean and road freight services.
Prior to his appointment, Egidio Monteiro was CEO of DHL Express in Angola since 2014, where he achieved record growth for the company.
Egidio Monteiro has 20 years of experience with DHL. He brought his expertise in various positions in both DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding divisions, covering a range of disciplines from express delivery to air freight and oil and gas logistics. After starting his career at DHL Express in 2001 as Operations Supervisor, Egidio Monteiro subsequently managed the Oil & Gas and Rig Sales. From March 2005 to January 2006, he joined DHL Danzas to manage air and ocean freight operations, with the objective of building the structures and developing the air and ocean segments in Angola. In 2006, he joined DHL Global Forwarding in Angola to focus on intra-African trade, including oil and gas logistics in West Africa.
Egidio Monteiro held the positions of Air Freight Manager and Country Manager of DHL Global Forwarding in Angola between 2008 and 2011. In this position, he led his team to grow freight volumes and revenues faster than anywhere else in Africa, achieving one of the highest growth rates in the global market. Subsequently, he was appointed Regional Operations Manager (Portuguese-speaking African countries) and Regional Air Cargo Manager (Central Africa), before being appointed Regional Director for Oil & Gas – West Africa, a position he held from September 2012 to December 2013. It was in January 2014 that he was appointed General Manager of DHL Express in Angola.
Solange Cesarovna, singer and president of the Cape Verdean Music Society
Solange Cesarovna is president of the Cape Verdean Music Society (SCM). Singer and composer, she is considered the queen of the morna (traditional Cape Verdean music) of the 21st century. Humanist, ambassador of peace and copyright in the world, and endowed with a unique and singular voice, Solange Cesarovna has succeeded in making the culture of her country known in the world.
In June 2013, she participated in the creation of SCM with the help of several Cape Verdean authors, composers, performers, publishers, producers and musicologists. SCM is a collective management organization in charge of defending copyright and related rights. The Society represents all the actors of the musical sector, through the collection and distribution of rights, in return for the use of musical works and recordings in Cape Verde.
Solange Cesarovna was elected president of SCM in 2013 and re-elected to the same position in 2018. Under her presidency, SCM joined the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) in 2017.
In January 2019, Solange Cesarovna was elected as a permanent observer to the Executive Committee of the International Council of Music Creators (ICMC).
