Uaandja among cream of African crop
The chairperson and chief executive officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), Nangula Uaandja, has made AvanceMedia’s list of the top 100 most influential women in Africa.She shares the business leadership accolades with big names like Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Also included in the category are Victoria Kwakwa (World Bank’s regional vice president for East and Southern Africa), Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh (Microsoft’s strategic partnership lead for Africa), as well as Abir Ibrahim (World Economic Forum’s associate director for Africa).
In her NIPDB capacity, Uaandja, a chartered accountant by profession, is tasked with the mandate of promoting and facilitating foreign and domestic investments, as well as the promotion of the development of SMEs.
Firsts
“There are many firsts in Nangula’s life – she was the first black female Namibian to qualify as a chartered accountant and the first female and first black Namibian to occupy the position of PwC managing partner, as well as that of president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia,” AvaceMedia says on its website.
“Over the years Nangula has grown a burden concerning the triple challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty that are facing Namibia. It is this burden that led her to pursue further studies (first the master in business leadership and now doctor in business leadership) with focus on the collaborative role required between the public and private sectors to drive inclusive economic growth and find common solutions to these challenges,” AvanceMedia adds.
Included in Uaandja’s impressive CV are Namibia’s Businesswoman of the Year in 2011, member of the Tax Court Appeal, as well as member of the first Public Office Bearers’ Remuneration and Benefits Committee.