4 March 2009
The State of Africa in 2009

Panel: Dr Adotey Bing-Pappoe; Professor Myles Wickstead (Secretary of the Commission on Africa; Visiting Professor in International Relations at the Open University)

BIOGRAPHIES

Dr Adotey Bing-Pappoe
Adotey Bing-Pappoe is an economist and political scientist. He currently combines consulting on socio-economic development and governance in Africa with a visiting lectureship at Greenwich University’s International Business School. He was formerly the Director of the Africa Centre, London. He was born in Ghana and lives in the UK



Professor Myles Wickstead
Secretary of the Commission on Africa; Visiting Professor in International Relations at the Open University

Myles Wickstead was, from early 2004 to late 2005, Head of Secretariat to the Commission for Africa. He has a long history of involvement with, and working in, Africa. Between 1993 and 1997 he was based in Nairobi as Head of the British Development Division in Eastern Africa, responsible for British Government development programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. He coordinated the 1997 Government White Paper 'Eliminating World Poverty: A Challenge for the 21st Century'; served on the Board of the World Bank (and as Development Counsellor at the British Embassy) in Washington from 1997 to 2000; and from 2000 to 2004 was based in Addis Ababa as British Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti.

Having left Government service in late 2005, Myles' portfolio now includes: Visiting Professor (International Relations) at the Open University; Senior Advisor to the Africa Unit (Association of Commonwealth Universities); Board Chair of CONCERN UK and Independent Vice-Chair of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy; and Board member/Trustee of the British Institute in Eastern Africa, the Baring Foundation, the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), the University of Ulster UNESCO Centre, the Crown Agents Foundation, the Development Studies Association, the Comic Relief International Grants Committee and the Advisory Council of Wilton Park.

Myles has degrees from the Universities of St Andrews and Oxford, and in the New Years Honours 2006 was appointed CBE.