International Finance Corporation (IFC) appoints Kyle Kelhofer as senior regional representative for Togo and four other countries

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank, has appointed Kyle Kelhofer as senior regional representative for Togo and four other countries in the sub-region (Benin, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). He succeeds Nigerian Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire in this position and will be based in Accra. The information was made public by the Bretton Woods institution, via a statement issued on Monday, February 28, 2022.

“In his new role, he will focus on supporting private sector growth, job creation, and post-Covid-19 recovery in West Africa,” the IFC said.

With nearly 30 years of international development experience, the new senior regional representative, a U.S. national, previously worked for the institution in Ghana. Prior to this position, the senior official served as IFC’s senior regional representative for Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, among other countries. Before that, he served in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

“It is a great pleasure to be back in West Africa and I look forward to working with the IFC team to support the socio-economic development of the region. The Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, poverty, and unemployment are serious and interrelated challenges, but by working with public and private sector partners, we can help the region lay the foundation for strong and sustainable growth,” said Kyle Kelhofer.

In Togo, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, IFC’s work includes supporting the agribusiness sector, bridging infrastructure and connectivity gaps, promoting digital inclusion, and financing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the institution said.

The private sector arm of the World Bank Group has been supporting Togo for several years in a wide range of sectors, including energy, financial markets, logistics, and health, with a project portfolio of $330 million. More recently, it announced support for solar and internet connectivity.

IFC opened its offices in Togo in October 2019 and has Ivorian Christopher Balliet Bléziri as its current Representative-Resident in the country.