Advisory Board and our Team

Together with the African diaspora in Europe, WIDU supports the growth of African micro and small businesses to foster sustainable economic and social development across the continent.

To strengthen the project’s impact and strategic direction, WIDU:

Works closely with an Advisory Board that provides strategic guidance and recommendations for the project’s development
operates across multiple countries in Europe and Africa through an international team coordinating implementation and partnerships.

The Advisory Board brings together representatives from the African diaspora, political institutions, civil society, academia, and the private sector to contribute expertise, insights, and strategic perspectives.

Learn more about the Advisory Board and the WIDU team below.

WIDU Advisory Board

The WIDU Advisory Board was established in August 2019 to support the project’s strategic development and provide a platform for dialogue and exchange. . Since then, it has played an important role in bringing together perspectives from the African diaspora, political stakeholders, civil society, and academia helping to guide the overall direction of the initiative.

The Advisory Board is currently co-chaired by Mr. Philipp Knill, Commissioner for Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and by H.E. Stella Mokaya Orina, Ambassador of Kenya to Germany.

Its members include:

Commissioning and financing partners, including the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Commission, and the Gates Foundation.
African political and institutional stakeholders, including representatives of political institutions and diplomatic missions from WIDU partner countries, typically at ambassadorial or senior level, providing political anchoring and convening power. This also includes representatives of the African Union, such as the Citizens and Diaspora Organizations Directorate (CIDO) and the African Institute for Remittances (AIR).
Diaspora representatives from African diaspora organisations and networks in WIDU partner countries, reflecting the project’s core constituency and transnational perspective.
Civil society organisations and academic institutions contributing policy, governance and development expertise, including Transparency International Germany, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and the German Africa Foundation.
Private sector and thematic experts from African fintech ecosystems, entrepreneurship networks, and the African private sector in Europe.

Advisory Board meetings are held annually, with additional meetings convened when required.

Members of the WIDU Advisory Board

Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V.

Institut für Weltwirtschaft Kiel

Brot für die Welt e.V.

Transparency International Deutschland e.V:

WIDU Team

The WIDU team, whose responsibilities include managing the project and the online platform, is dispersed between various locations, including each of the participating African countries and the headquarter of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Eschborn, Germany.