NAIROBI—The Rockefeller Foundation Africa Managing Director Mamadou Biteye was today appointed an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Biteye received the prestigious award for his work done when he served as Regional Director, West Africa for OxfamGreat Britain, where he worked immediately prior to joining The Rockefeller Foundation. In his role as the Rockefeller Foundation MD for Africa since 2013, Biteye oversees the Foundation’s work across Africa, which includes initiatives such as Digital Jobs Africa, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Transforming Health Systems, Informal Workers’ Health, Food Waste and Spoilage, among others.
He was nominated for the OBE award for having shown dedication in his work through Oxfam, which left a legacy where thousands of people are still benefitting from programs that he designed and led, and whose lives have been changed for the better. The award also embodies the example he set of excellent service for the improvement of people’s lives.
“Throughout my career, I have to the best of my ability worked towards enabling people to thrive in life and creating just societies. Always, the goal is to have a positive impact,” said Mr. Biteye. ”Her Majesty’s gracious recognition is a great honour, and I am greatly inspired by it as I have been unchanged in my passion for development. Today I am still focused on seeing Africa and the world develop, bearing in mind the resilience needs of the communities I serve, and also promoting inclusive economies so that nobody is left behind in the tide of grow in wealth and other resources,” he said.
At Oxfam, Mr. Biteye was Regional Director and responsible for strategic program leadership and overall management of the West Africa region, including eight country offices. A native of Senegal in West Africa and an agricultural economist by training, Biteye has over twenty years’ experience in strategic leadership, program development and implementation, public policy analysis, advocacy and campaigning and community participatory development.
“Mr. Biteye showed great commitment in his years with Oxfam Great Britain. We recognize his many achievements and are pleased to honor his commitment to service to others,” said H.E. Dr. Christian Turner CMG, British High Commissioner to Kenya, who gave the award in Nairobi on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Some noteworthy achievements from Mr. Biteye’s career at Oxfam include co-designing a micro-finance programme that is today improving the lives of over 500, 000 women in Mali and Senegal; He also played a key role in developing policy processes in West Africa e.g. the ECOWAS’ Convention on Small Arms, and the ECOWAS’ regional mining directives.
He is also a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Africa.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Today, The Rockefeller Foundation pursues this mission through dual goals: advancing inclusive economies that expand opportunities for more broadly shared prosperity, and building resilience by helping people, communities and institutions prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. To achieve these goals, The Rockefeller Foundation works at the intersection of four focus areas – advance health, revalue ecosystems, secure livelihoods, and transform cities – to address the root causes of emerging challenges and create systemic change. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot – or will not. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org
About the British High Commission, Nairobi
We represent the British government in its relations with the Kenyan government and supports British interests in Kenya. To build a more stable and prosperous Kenya. Britain is committed to a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship with Kenya. Britain and Kenya have a shared history, enduring friendship and vital political, economic, commercial and cultural interests that we develop and maintain.
For more information please contact
Achieng’ Otieno, Communications Officer, the Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office, aotieno@rockfound.org,+254 704848792.
Joanne Kihagi, Communications Officer-Kenya British High Commission Nairobi, joanne.kihagi@fco.gov.uk, +254 020-2844161