Thirteen emerging young policymakers graduated today as the first cohort of the AFI Engage Program, marking the end of a year of leadership training.
The Fellows celebrated their achievement during AFI’s annual Global Policy Forum, where they reflected on their journeys and committed to advancing financial inclusion as future leaders.
“This session marks an important milestone for the pilot cohort of AFI Engage Fellows, bringing them in full circle since they started their journey at last year’s 2024 GPF to graduating at this year’s GPF,” said Aban Haq, AFI’s Head of PMO and Member Engagement.
“My time with AFI Engage has transformed my understanding of leadership from a vague ideal into a practical and masterable tool for implementing meaningful change,” said Nimrod Anta E. Payne, an AFI Engage graduate from Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest.
Launched in 2024, AFI Engage is designed to strengthen leadership capacity among the next generation of financial inclusion policymakers. Over the past year, Fellows participated in a range of mentoring and leadership activities including:
- Technical masterclasses and online AFI educational courses
- Peer-learning and networking opportunities across the AFI network
- A three-day leadership development program in Kuala Lumpur
“For me, the AFI Engage program has been much more than a leadership course – it has been a journey of self-discovery,” explained Namuun Altangadas, AFI Engage Fellow from the Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia. “Over the past year, I have not only deepened my technical knowledge of inclusive finance but also learned to recognize my own strengths and reflect deeply on the kind of leader I aspire to be.”
Congratulations to the following 2024-2025 AFI Engage graduates for their enthusiastic contribution to the program and their continued commitment to a more financially inclusive future:
- Bondi Lydia Bilala – Central Bank of Nigeria
- Brenda Waithira Mwangi – Retirement Benefits Authority Kenya
- Claudia Alejandra Castillo Cabral – Superintendencia de Bancos de la República Dominicana
- Corazon Khavwenjesi Kamaan – Central Bank of Kenya
- Cyril Kevin Benoiton – Central Bank of Seychelles
- Dastan Peter Massawe – Bank of Tanzania
- Malik Jibran Tariq – State Bank of Pakistan
- Namuun Altangadas – Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia
- Nyasha Lydia Juru – Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
- Nimrod Anta Esicault Payne – Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO)
- Reham Abd El Hadi Amin – Central Bank of Egypt
- Saba Abd Alhakeem Assaf – Palestine Monetary Authority
- Suman Chakma – Microcredit Regulatory Authority Bangladesh