The Nigerian banker is the current CEO of the Dangote Foundation, the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, created by the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote.
Women’s World Banking has announced, on September 14 septembre, the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors. This brings the number of Board members to 12, including two Honorary Directors. The new Board members are Zouera Youssoufou, CEO and Managing Director of Aliko Dangote Foundation, and Seema Hingorani, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Founder and Chair of Girls Who Invest, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and executive leadership in the asset management industry.
The new Board members, it’s explained, bring leadership in driving economic empowerment outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa and amongst young girls through digital financial and investment literacy.
Women’s World Banking designs and invests in the financial solutions, institutions, and policy environments in emerging markets to create greater economic stability and prosperity for women, their families, and their communities, with a global reach of 62 partners in 35 countries serving more than 138 million women clients. Women’s World Banking works extensively in Nigeria, with additional programs in Uganda and Senegal, and plans to expand further into Egypt and beyond in the years ahead.
To improve the health, nutrition, education, and economic empowerment
Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Zouera Youssoufou, the CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the largest private foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, leads the foundation’s efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and economic empowerment outcomes for Africans, primarily in Nigeria. She provides overall management oversight for the foundation and provides support on social investments to the Dangote Group.
Prior to joining the foundation, Zouera Youssoufou spent 10 years with the World Bank Group in various capacities, including as Country Manager in three countries in Central Africa: Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe. As such, she was the front-line person in the relationship with all three Governments and conducted day-to-day dialogue with all levels of Government, donors and civil society. Zouera was responsible for developing the World Bank’s engagement strategies and overseeing the implementation of World Bank projects in the three countries.
Creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs
Prior to this, she spent six years at the International Finance Corporation, a subsidiary of the world bank group, where she led the Global Women in Business Program (WIN). In that role, she was responsible for creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the developing world, specifically in Access to Finance.
Zouera Youssoufou joined the World Bank Group in 2005 from Citigroup’s Smith Barney in New-York, where she covered emerging markets and 13 industry sectors in New York and Atlanta as an equity research analyst. Her previous experiences include working with the European Union on private sector development issues in Niger and management consulting with Deloitte in Ghana.
Expert in in sustainable development and entrepreneurship
Zouera Youssoufou’s expertise in sustainable development and entrepreneurship and her extensive knowledge of African markets brings valuable experience to the Board, particularly as the organization focuses on the continued growth in Africa over the coming years. “Advancing women’s economic empowerment is a cause that’s extremely important to me, and I’m truly excited to work with Women’s World Banking’s Board and staff to advance this important mission,” Ms. Youssoufou said.
Zouera Youssoufou holds an MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BBA in marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg School of Business. She is fluent in Hausa, English, Frenchand Spanish.
Zouera Youssoufou sits on several Boards including SE4All, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, ONE Global Leadership Circle, Center for the Strategic Studies on Africa, and ABC Health. Since March 2020, Zouera coordinates the Secretariat of CACOVID – the Nigerian Private sector coalition against Covid-19.
