Monique Nsanzabaganwa who was the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), completed her mandate of four years on Febuary 17, where she aslo received a recognisiton award from Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali for her service at AUC . The former Rwandan Minister of Trade and Industry was in charge of administration and finance at the AU and assisted the Chairperson in the execution of his functions to ensure the smooth running of the Commission. She was elected into the position in Febuary 2021. ALSO READ: A conversation with Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission “It has been a true privilege to serve as Deputy Chairperson under the able leadership of H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat,” Nsanzabaganwa said in a post on her linkedIn page. “I sincerely thank Africa’s Heads of State and Government for entrusting me with the noble responsibility of contributing to our continent’s development and intergration.” She also expressed her thanks to the people of Ethiopia for their warm hospitality and friendship. Nsanzabaganwa was elected by the 34th African Union Assembly for a four-year term in 2021, becoming the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. She has over twenty years’ experience in developing and leading programs that drive financial inclusion and economic prosperity. Prior to her election at the AU, Nsanzabaganwa had held senior positions in the Government of the Republic of Rwanda including Minister of State in charge of Economic Planning, Minister of Trade and Industry and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. Nsanzabaganwa has supported various gender empowerment initiatives through her memberships in the Alliance for Financial Inclusion Gender committee, Women's World Banking African Advisory Council, the Graça Machel Trust Expert Group on women's financial inclusion and the digital economy in Africa, New Faces New Voices Rwanda chapter, Unity Club amongst others.
