Koffi Yao

I hold a Ph.D. in Economics and a Masters in Finance from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor’s degree in Operational Research from the State University of New York in Albany.

I was a lecturer at the University of Arizona and the University of Abidjan, then a civil servant at the International Monetary Fund from 1981 where I held several positions, including: Senior Economist in the African Department of the IMF; Advisor to the IMF Administration for Francophone Africa; IMF Administrator for Francophone Africa; IMF Resident Representative in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Benin, Togo and Burundi.

I am familiar with the structural problems faced by West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries and the constraints to private sector development and foreign direct investment.