Dr. Richard Mkandawire
Director, Alliance for African Partnership
Richard Mkandawire is a Socio-economist and a Rural development expert. He is currently; the Director Africa Secretariat, Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) and Chairman, Malawi Planning Commission. Before joining AAP, he worked as Vice President of the Africa Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership, Senior Advisor for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), where played a critical role in engaging support for NEPAD’s focus on agriculture, in conceptualizing and drafting the initial CAADP plan and in advocating for its acceptance by African Heads of State and donor agencies. During CAADP’s critical initial decade, he served as CAADP’s heart and soul, as well as its public face.
Prof. Mkandawire’s development initiatives have been recognized across the continent. In 2008 he received an Honorary Doctorate for his work in spearheading the CAADP agenda and in 2008 he was an awardee of “Drivers of Change” for his leadership in driving CAADP acceptance by African heads of state and government and development partners. In 2012 the University of Pretoria appointed him as “Extra-Ordinary Professor”.