Monique Nsanzabaganwa
Monique Nsanzabaganwa is the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda since May 2011. She also served as Minister of Trade and Industry (2008-2011) and Minister of State for Economic Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2003-2008). Prior to that, she lectured at the National University of Rwanda, currently University of Rwanda. Fluent in English and French, Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa is an Alumnus of Stellenbosch University, South Africa where she studied Economics, with a Cum Laude Masters obtained in 2002 and a PhD in 2012.
As Minister of Trade and Industry, Monique Nsanzabaganwa spearheaded the implementation of Doing Business reforms whereby a dozen of business related laws were drafted, defended and passed by Parliament in less than a year earning Rwanda the privilege of global best reformer (DB 2010 Report) and second best reformer the year after (DB 2011 Report). By the time she left the Ministry, Rwanda ranked 45th globally (DB 2012 Report). She contributed to the creation of RDB (Rwanda Development Board), a flagship institution for the development of the private sector in Rwanda. As the first woman to head the Ministry, she also focused on formulating policies and implementing reforms in the areas of consumer rights and protection, competition, intellectual property rights, handcrafts, cooperative movement and conservation whereby she led the setting up of the first compensation scheme for damages caused by protected animals.
Under her tenure of Economic Planning portfolio, Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa contributed to the strengthening of the planning and statistical system both at the local and national levels. She coordinated the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of PRSP2 and the elaboration of the first EDPRS (Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy). She also spearheaded the establishment of the National Institute of Statists of Rwanda and the formulation of the Microfinance policy and legal framework.
Dr Monique NSANZABAGANWA sits on a number of Boards, including the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda where she chairs the Board of Directors, and the Women’s World Banking, a global nonprofit organization that promotes banking solutions for low-income women, where she is a member of the African Advisory Council. Dr Nsanzabaganwa is also a founding member and chairperson of NFNV (New Faces New Voices) Rwanda Chapter. NFNV is a Pan-African movement that aims at empowering women in finance. Her other responsibilities in the civil society of Rwanda include leading executive work as 1st Vice Chairperson of Unity Club, a non-government organization composed of Rwandan former and current ministers and spouses and chaired by the First Lady of Rwanda. Unity Club objective is to reflect models of unity to inspire community in nation rebuilding and sustainable development.
Dr Monique NSANZABAGANWA is a Fellow of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Education in Public Financial Management, a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative East Africa and the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and a member of the African Leaders Network, a premier community of dynamic and influential leaders in Africa.