It is with deep regret that the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) announces the passing, on 12 January 2017, of Prof. Callisto Enias Madavo, the Chair of its Executive Board, a great son of Africa and a true promoter of capacity development for an Africa-driven sustainable development
Prof. Madavo was elected as Chair of the ACBF Executive Board on October 20, 2014.
Prof. Madavo held several senior level positions at the World Bank, including Vice President for the Africa Region, after serving as Country Director for East Asia, Country Director for East Africa, Division Chief of the Pakistan Programs Department. More recently, he served as a special advisor to the President of the World Bank. Prof. Madavo had extensive experience in developmental work in a wide range of country program issues as well as sectoral matters including urbanization in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He championed a number of initiatives at the World Bank including the HIV/AIDS initiative, capacity development and infrastructure.
Professor Madavo was in charge of a myriad of World Bank-supported activities in 47 sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan. The main activities focused on economic growth and poverty reduction, and promotion of good governance. Other activities included private sector development, post-conflict programs, and social sector development. He was responsible over 1300 staff with an administrative budget of more than 250 million a year and annual commitment of more than US$ 4 billion in loans and grants. He did the same for East Asia in Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, the Phillipines, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
After retiring from the World Bank, Prof. Madavo served as visiting professor to the African Studies Program of the George Washington University, teaching a course on African Development.
Prof. Madavo held a Ph.D. (1969) from the University of Notre Dame in Development Economics
The Board of Governors, the Executive Board and the Secretariat of the African Capacity Building Foundation conveys their most sincere condolences to Mrs. Madavo, their children and all the members of their family for the irrecoverable loss to them and to the African continent as a whole.
