Sahara Group’s Tonye Cole appointed to World Bank expert advisory council
The executive director and co-founder of Nigeria’s Sahara Group, Mr Tonye Cole.
What you need to know:
- Sahara Group is an international energy (power, oil and gas) and infrastructure conglomerate with business operations in over 20 countries including Tanzania.
Dar es Salaam. The executive director and co-founder of Nigeria’s Sahara Group, Mr Tonye Cole has been appointed to the World Bank Group’s Expert Advisory Council.
Sahara Group is an international energy (power, oil and gas) and infrastructure conglomerate with business operations in over 20 countries including Tanzania.
The council was established in 2014 to guide the development and implementation of the strategic framework for mainstreaming citizen engagement in the bank’s operations.
It is designed to give citizens a stake in decision making to improve the intermediate and final development outcomes of their partnerships with government.
Mr Cole said it’s an opportunity to collaborate with other members on robust agenda setting and implementation of initiatives that are crucial to global sustainable development.
“My work with global agencies and institutions on sustainable development has only reinforced the importance of private and public sector collaboration. My colleagues and I believe that continued cross-sectorial and multi-stakeholder engagement can transform the landscape on sustainability and social development for the next generation. I am feeling very positive as we collectively embark on this new chapter."
He is one of the two designated private sector specialists on the council, which is composed of 2 representatives each from civil society, academia, the private sector, governments, foundations and development partner/donor organisations.
Other new members joining the council are Flavia Milano (Inter-American Development Bank), Helena Bjunemalm (Swedish International Development Agency), Emily Martinez (Open Society Foundations) and fellow Nigerian Muhammed Sanu Abdullahi (Government of the State of Kaduna).
Commenting on the appointment, World Bank’s Jeff Thindwa, the manager of the global partnership for social accountability and who oversees the council nomination and selection process said: "Mr Cole will bring a unique private sector perspective to the council. Combined with his longstanding experience serving global development institutions in various capacities, this positions Mr Cole to make an impactful contribution to the work of the council."
Speaking on the appointment, Sahara Group head of corporate communications Mr Bethel Obioma said; “t offers yet another platform for Mr Cole, a foremost African entrepreneur and sustainable development advocate, to share his passion for "giving wings to aspirations".
Mr Cole currently serves on the board of the United Nations Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) on Sustainable Development Goals and also chairs the Nigerian Private Sector Advisory Group.
In August 2017, he was appointed to the Steering Committee of Partnering against Corruption Initiative (PACI) an anti-corruption platform of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
