Our Team in Cameroon

Agnès Okodombè is the UNV Country Coordinator for Cameroon. She was previously at UNDP Niger as a UNV Program Officer. Agnes has also worked at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Yaoundé (2011-2017).

Mr. Antonio M. A. Pedro is a mineral exploration geologist with over 30 years of experience in development and management.
Apart from his contribution to the extractive industries policy in Africa, he has worked for ECA to boost the continent's structural transformation and regional integration.

Mr. Athman Mravili, is a Comoran national and holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the National School of Veterinary Medicine, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia. Since 2009, Mr. Mravili has held several positions of responsibility, notably in Sudan, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, and FAO's Sub Regional Office in Libreville, Gabon. He has over 20 years of experience in the areas of food security, humanitarian affairs, and livestock in Asia and Africa.

Dr. Phanuel Habimana is a doctor by training. He has 25 years of experience with WHO. Before his appointment in Cameroon, he was Chief of Health Programmes for Children, Adolescents, and Nutrition at the WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo.

Dr. Justin Koffi is a citizen of Côte d’Ivoire. He has a multidisciplinary background with more than twenty years of experience in the field of international development as Public Health physician with a Master Degree in Epidemiology from the University of California at Berkeley and a Medical Doctor Degree from the National University of Côte d'Ivoire.

Former expert at the National Institute of Health in the USA, he was respectively Technical Director of the National AIDS Control Program of Côte d'Ivoire and Resident Advisor of the USAID Family Health and AIDS Prevention Project for Côte d'Ivoire. He was previously UNFPA Country Representative in Togo. Since October 2015 he was the Director of the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD), a joint World Bank, UNFPA, ECOWAS and African Union as well as nine West and Central African countries project.

Before that he served as the Executive Secretary of the Abidjan – Lagos CORRIDOR PROJECT for ten years. He also successively held the position of Resident Advisor of the USAID funded Family Health and Sti/Hiv/AIDS Project (FHA) in Côte d'Ivoire, Technical Director of Ivorian National AIDS & TB Control Program. Dr. Justin KOFFI has also been trained in gender and development, project anagement, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Dr Justin Koffi successfully managed programs focused on social marketing, reproductive health/FP, maternal child health, and STI/HIV, Human Capital Development, Women empowerment and Demographic Dividend. He has extensive experience with bilateral and multilateral donors and various private sector entities. In addition to his knowledge of the WCA landscape, he has demonstrated excellent skills in relationship building with key partners, and a robust understanding of various donor’s policies, procedures and requirements.

Dr Justin Koffi carries his expertise in private sector business development, public health project design implementation, supply chain management, capacity building, behavior change communication, community based interventions, operations research, monitoring & evaluation, fundraising, and negotiation.

Dr. Justin Koffi is the author of several publications and communications in the areas of public health, gender, population and development, women's empowerment, generational economics and the demographic dividend.

Emime Ndihokubwayo was appointed Interim Head of the Central African Hub and Country Director/Representative of IFAD Country office in Yaoundé from January 1st 2021. The Hub covers DRC, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic, and Sao Tome and Principe. Emime brings to IFAD a rich work- experience of more than 20 years in rural development in Africa and beyond from various organisational settings to include experience with central Governments, Regional, pan African institutions and International organizations. Born in Burundi, Emime Ndihokubwayo holds a Master's Degree in Governance and Development from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, a B.A. in Law from the University of Burundi, and Executive Leadership and Management Certificate from Syracuse University, New York, USA.

Before Cameroon, Jean-Luc was Director of the UNDP in Senegal. He was also Senior Deputy Country Director for UNDP in Southern Sudan from 2016 to 2018, Senior Country Director for UNDP in Mali from 2013 to 2016, and Deputy Country Director for UNDP in Pakistan from 2010 to 2013. A French and Rwandan national, he holds a master's degree in social development from the University of the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. He is currently preparing a doctorate in political economy in the nexus between economic growth and human development.

Karen Perrin has over 20 years of experience in humanitarian affairs, particularly in conflict and post-conflict settings. Prior to her appointment to Cameroon in January 2022, she worked with OCHA as Deputy Head of Office in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Central African Republic, as well as at OCHA’s headquarters in New York as an advisor on humanitarian access issues. She also worked on protection of civilian populations with the Peacekeeping mission in Sudan. Before joining the United Nations, she worked with international NGOs. She was Head of mission in different countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Horn of Africa, where she led emergency and recovery operations. She holds Masters’ degrees in Political science (International relations) from the Paris institute of political studies, and in Project evaluation.

Abdel Rahmane DIOP, is joining IOM Cameroon in the capacity of Chief of Mission. He was assigned to the Office of Director General as Liaison and Policy Officer for the Secretariat of the UN Network on Migration. He covers the GCM Champion Countries initiative and the UN Network on Migration thematic working groups related to Bilateral Labour Migration Agreement and Migrants’ Access to services.
Abdel Rahmane is a graduate of the Quebec Institute for Graduate Studies (HEI); University of Laval (Quebec, Canada), in addition to his diploma Public Law, International Relations from Cheikh Anta Diop University (Dakar, Senegal). Before joining IOM in 2013, he served at the United Nations Development Program and filled various research positions. Among main topics of interest, he lead researches on development policies and migration, human trafficking, migration and development and China-Africa relationships.
With almost a decade of experience in policy, multilateralism and project management, Abdel worked at the national and international levels for government, international organizations and civil society (including academia) in developing and developed country contexts (e.g. Burkina Faso, Belgium and Canada).

Mr. Jean-Jacques Massima-Landji, 58, has been the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Representative for Central Africa and Madagascar since 2009, with residence in Yaoundé. Previously, he worked at the organization's headquarters in Geneva and the African Regional Organization for Satellite Communication (RASCOM). Trained as telecommunications, computer, and electronics engineer, he has more than 33 years' experience in the field of ICT and computer science.

Marie Pierre Raky Chaupin is joining UNWOMEN office in Cameroun as Resident Representative after 26 years of extensive experience on Programme and Policy development/Management, including 22 years working on Gender mainstreaming in programmes and policies.
Prior of joining UNWOMEN Cameroon, Raky held the position of Deputy Country Representative of UNWOMEN in Mali (2020- 2023). Before UNWOMEN, she held the position of Deputy Chief of the MINUSMA Gender Unit in Mali (2018-2020). Previously, Raky has served as Regional Gender Advisor for WFP (World Food Programme Regional Gender Advisor (2016-2019) and covered West and Central Africa region at WFP Regional Bureau Dakar. Her former positions include Country Programme coordinator for UNWOMEN in Senegal (2012-2016) and Coordinator of the UN Trust fund as well as UNSG’s Campaign on EVAW for UNIFEM Regional office WCARO – (2009-2012). Raky who is a native of Senegal started her carrier with international NGOs (Belgian and Canadian) in the field of Rural Development and GEWE before joining the UN system in 2009. Raky hold a Master’s degree as well as DEA in Sociology (University of Gaston Berger, Saint Louis), and a Master Degree in Human rights Peace and Security (Universitty Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar) and a Certificate on Women Studies (University of Antwerpen, Belgium).

Ms. Aminata Maiga (Côte d'Ivoire-Canada) is Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Country Technical Support Team for Central Africa and ILO Country Office for Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe, since 1 August 2021.
Previously in Yaoundé, Ms. Maiga served in the ILO as (i) Director of the ILO Country Office for Angola, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad from 2014 to 2021, (ii) Senior Employment Creation and Enterprise Development Specialist in Central Africa from 2010 to 2014, and (iii) Africa Regional Coordinator for Women's Entrepreneurship from 2009 to 2010.
Prior to joining the ILO in 2009, Ms. Maiga worked as a Senior Economist, Financial Analyst, Consultant and Manager with the Government of the Northwest Territories in Canada, Roche Limited Groupe Conseil in Montreal and the Bureau National Etudes Techniques et de Développement in Côte d'Ivoire.
During her professional career of more than 25 years on three continents (Africa, America and Europe), she has specialised in development policy analysis, world of work issues, inclusive growth issues and the formulation and implementation of policies, strategies and programmes focused on decent work. Ms. Maiga is the author of several studies and socio-economic analyses on the impact of government policies and the profitability of public and private investments and has participated in and facilitated several international conferences, seminars and workshops.
Ms. Maiga holds an MBA from HEC Montreal in Canada. She is also a graduate of the University of Clermont Ferrand in France, holding a Magistère in Development Economics, a DEA in Economic Policy and a DESS in Project Analysis. She is perfectly bilingual (English/French).

Born in Haiti, Ms. Perrault held many positions in UNICEF. She also worked at the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama. Before this position, she worked at UNICEF Headquarters in New York as Protection of the Rights of the Child Officer and as Program Officer responsible for the Human Rights Group in the Policy and Practice Division. Nadine Perrault served as UNICEF Representative in El Salvador. Before her appointment in Cameroon, she held the same position in Guinea-Bissau. Ms Perrault brings more than twenty-five years of significant experience in various capacities.
Nadine Perrault has a background in the field of Law, with a specialization in Child Protection and expertise in, human rights and gender

Nouhoum Sangaré (Mali) took office on August 8, 2022 as Regional Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (UNCHRD-CA).

Prior to his appointment, he was the Representative and Head of Offices of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali since February 2017.

From 2004 to 2017, Mr. Sangaré served in several United Nations entities, including as Civil Affairs Officer in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) from 2004 to 2005, and in the New York Office between 2011 and 2015, where he was Coordinator for Development Issues and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He was also a member of the Official Delegation to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20. Finally, he was Head of the Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS) between 2008 and 2009. Prior to his appointment as Representative/Head of ICC Offices in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, he was Senior Technical Advisor and Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption and Anti-Money Laundering Support Project at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Gabon between 2015 and 2017.

A career diplomat, Nouhoum Sangaré previously worked as a Foreign Affairs Advisor from 1998 to 2004 at the Political Affairs Directorate of Mali's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where he was Chief of the UN and Specialized Agencies Section. He also served as Mali's delegate to the Third Committee in charge of social, humanitarian and cultural issues, including human rights, and to the First Committee dealing with disarmament and international security issues at the 55th (2000) and 56th (2001) sessions of the UN General Assembly.

He holds a Master's degree in Legal Sciences from the Ecole Nationale d'Administration de Bamako (Mali) and a Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées en Droits de l'Homme from the University of Nantes (France).

Before taking up office as UNHCR’s Representative in Cameroon in May 2020, Mr Beer, from 2016, was the Deputy Representative for the UNHCR operation in DR Congo which is host to more than half a million refugees and an additional 4.5 million internally displaced persons within the country. With more than 20 years of experience with the United Nations Refugee Agency, he has an excellent mastery of the humanitarian sector having successfully served in different operations in Africa and beyond. Before joining UNHCR, Olivier Guillaume Beer had worked for the Belgian Interior Ministry, as Commissioner for Refugees and Statelessness and also for the Belgian Development and Cooperation Agency in Angola.

Director of the Multisectoral Regional Office for Central Africa in Yaoundé (Cameroon) and UNESCO Representative to Cameroon, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe.
Prior to his appointment he was Deputy Director of IIEP. Economics of education, education sector analysis, sample surveys on learning outcomes. As Deputy Director of IIEP, Paul Coustère has contributed to the achievement of the Institute's goals and objectives, notably through the promotion of an integrated approach to capacity development, which includes training, research and technical assistance in the field of educational policy-making, planning and management.
Mr. Coustère began his career as an educational economist. His first area of specialisation was the design and analysis of sample surveys of learning outcomes. He first worked in Washington DC as an in-house consultant for the World Bank, then in Dakar as Head of the Programme for Educational Systems Analysis (PASEC) of the Conference of Ministers of Education of French-speaking countries (CONFEMEN).
In 2000, he joined the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Head of the Office of Basic Education and Literacy. He was involved in the launch of the Fast-Track Initiative (now GPE, Global Partnership for Education) during the French Presidency of the G8 in 2002-2003. He also led the deliberations with UNESCO to create the Pôle de Dakar (Senegal), a platform of expertise in education policy analysis, which is now part of the IIEP, becoming its first coordinator in 2004.
From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Coustère was Head of the Education and Training Division (AFD, 2009) and coordinated the French Secretariat of the G20 Development Working Group during the French G20 Presidency (MAE, 2011). From 2013 to 2014, Mr. Coustère was Head of the Country Support Team at the GPE Secretariat in Washington DC.
Beyond his responsibilities, Mr. Coustère analysed developments in the field of education economics, participated in the development of education sector analysis tools and contributed to the operationalisation of the post-2015 education agenda.
Academically, Mr. Coustère is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure (Paris). He holds an Academic Degree of Aggregate in Economic and Social Sciences, a master’s degree in Tropical Geography, and another master’s in international Relations from the Sorbonne University, Paris I.

Raymond Tavares has over 25 years work experience in innovation management, technology development, quality infrastructure for international trade and development. Tavares holds a PhD in Industrial Economics and a Masters on Innovation Management.
In recent years, Raymond Tavares has managed projects and programmes aiming at assisting UNIDO member states in their inclusion process in the NIR and the future of manufacturing. Since 2020, Raymond Tavares is the UNIDO Representative in Cameroon and Central African countries.

In December 2019, Silvia Gallo, of Italian nationality, opened the new UNOPS office in Yaoundé. The office represents UNOPS in Cameroon as part of the Sub-Regional Unit based in Kinshasa. Mrs Gallo got a background in architecture and urban planning from the University of Florence, Italy, and the University of Polytechnic of Mons in Belgium. She started her international career 15 years ago, and before her assignment in Cameroon, she was based in Suva, representing UN-Habitat in Fiji and the Solomon Islands. She has also represented UNOPS in the Central African Republic. Her work has revolved around integrated urban and rural development projects and the reinforcement of resilience in contexts characterized by violence and extreme poverty (slums). She has further been involved in peacebuilding, disaster risk reduction, climate change, community capacity building, and the full range of infrastructure projects, including WASH.

Ms. Wanja Kaaria is the Representative & Country Director of the World Food Programme in Cameroon. Prior to this appointment, Wanja served with WFP as Representative & Country Director in The Gambia, from 2018 - 2020. She was also the Deputy Director of WFP - Africa Office to the African Union and UNECA in Addis Ababa (2014-2018). She also served WFP in a variety of other capacities since joining the organization in 1997; as Deputy Country Director of WFP, Senegal (2011-2014); Global Lead - Food Security Monitoring Analysis based in Rome (2008-2011) and Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, southern Africa based in Johannesburg (2002-2008). She has also worked in South Sudan, Somalia, and western Tanzania with the refugee operation (1997-2002). Before joining the UN, she served the Kenyan Government (Ministry of Lands & Housing) & with the Local Government for over six years. Ms. Kaaria holds an Msc. in Development Planning and Management from the University of Dortmund-Germany, & University of Kwame Nkrumah Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana.