Dr. Jamal Zayid

Co-Founder & Vice President

Full Name Jamal E. Zayid
Experience 43 Years

Education:

  • Ph.D. (Economics) Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. 1986
  • M.A. (Economics) Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.1982
  • PGDip (Economics)Economics Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.1980
  • B.Sc. (Hons) – Economics, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.1979

Bio:

Dr. Jamal Zayid was an expert economist who achieved many accomplishments in his career. He co-founded the Consortium of African Experts and served as its Vice President. Sadly, Dr. Zayid unexpectedly passed away while on official business in Nairobi on January 29th, 2023. His family, friends, and colleagues in the African Experts community were deeply saddened by this loss. As a tribute to his impressive career and legacy, his biography will continue to be featured on the “African Experts” platform. May he rest in peace.

He has held various positions, including Advisor at ODI, Khartoum Office, Sudan, Principal Country Economist at the African Development Bank AfDB and ORWB, and Senior Country Economist at ORWB. He has worked primarily in country strategy preparation and implementation, as well as participating in project and budget support appraisals and progress assessments. He has also co-authored Joint Assistance Strategies with the World Bank for Sierra Leone, Gambia, and other countries, which have featured economic governance as a pillar added to either Infrastructure or Agricultural Development. Additionally, he has served as a member of Panel of Experts for Sudan’s Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission, USDA Consultant and Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Focal Point, the Three Areas: Joint Assessment Mission for Sudan, Consultant, Christian Aid, Nairobi, Kenya and Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Gezira. He also served as Economic Advisor – General Secretariat, Development Council, Muscat-Sultanate of Oman.

You can read about Dr. Jamal’s professional journey and gain insights into his experiences below.

  • Advisor & Resident Coordinator, ODI, Khartoum Office, Sudan, Dec 2020-Mar 2022.
  • Principal Country Economist, the African Development Bank, ECSA, Office of the Vice-President, ECVP. Till 15 Nov 2019.

Latest Assignment was at Sierra Leone Field Office, Freetown (COSL). Work primarily consisted of country strategy preparation, follow-up, and implementation of strategy components in addition to participation in project and budget support appraisals and progress assessments.

Work included high-level Dialogue with Government and representing the Bank in the country. Discharged a number of strategy progress reports and derivatives in addition to Analytical work, including the renowned annual African Economic Outlook (AEO) Country Reports.

  • Principal Country Economist, ORWB, TRA, Tunis, (2010-2013)
    Work included leading multidisciplinary missions and ongoing Dialogue with Governments, especially Ministries of Finance and Economic Development, in Anglophone West Africa.

Co-authored two Joint Assistance Strategies with the World Bank: Sierra Leone (2009-2012) and Gambia (2012-2015).

All these strategies mentioned featured economic governance as a pillar added to either Infrastructure or Agricultural Development, always highlighting major challenges for African economies.

  • Senior Country Economist, ORWB, Tunis, (2005- 2010)

Co-authored a Joint Assistance Strategy with the World Bank for the Gambia (2007-2011) as one of the early attempts at Donor Coordination under the auspices of the Paris Declaration.

Member of Panel of Experts for Sudan’s Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission (FFAMC).

Work consisted of Giving Advice to the Sudanese National Unity Government on allocation of resources and the type of relationship between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the 25 States of Sudan (2006-2008).

The FFAMC was a direct product of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 and was established by a Presidential Decree.

  • USDA Consultant & Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), Southern Blue Nile (Funj) Region, Sudan, and then Manager of the PACs for the Three Areas 2003-2005. Stationed in Nairobi, Kenya. Work focused on assessing development strategies and interventions in the three areas and giving advice to the Governors of Southern Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Bahr el Ghazal prior to Sudan’s comprehensives peace agreement (CPA).
  • Focal Point, the Three Areas: Joint Assessment Mission for Sudan (JAM), led by World Bank and UNDP. (2004-2005)
    JAM was a requirement of the CPA.
    Co-drafter: Synthesis JAM Report for Sudan, Addis Ababa Nairobi, Feb.-March 2005.
  • Consultant, Christian Aid, Nairobi, Kenya. (April – Dec.2003).
  • Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Gezira, (U of G), Wad Medani, Sudan (1994 – 2001)
  • Seconded by U of G, Economic Advisor – General Secretariat, Development Council, Muscat-Sultanate of Oman, (1992 – 1994)

Work consisted of giving advice on Macro-economic Policy issues to the Secretary General of the Development Council, which consisted of a number of Cabinet ministers.
The council was turned into the Ministry of Development, and I continued giving advice to the Minister. Macro-modeling Coordinator, (1992–1994).
Activity culminated in the construction of a Macro Social Accounting Framework (MSAF) as a first step in constructing a full-fledged Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for use in plan preparation and policy analysis. This was done in collaboration with the Institute of Social Studies Advisory Service (ISSAS), The Hague, Netherlands.

  • Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan. (1987–1992)

Teaching courses of economic theory, Econometrics, Quantitative Policy Analysis, Development and International Economics at the Undergraduate and M.A. levels plus research supervision at the Honors, and Graduate levels.

Member of the Ministerial Committee on the Four-year Economic Salvation Program for Sudan. Components of the Macro-econometric Model, he had developed for Sudan, were used to run simulations for the program (1987-1988).

  • Visiting Instructor and then Assistant Professor of Economics, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, USA. (1985–1987)
  • Associate Instructor, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. (1982–1985)
  • Teaching Assistant, University of Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan. (1979–1980)