Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella – is Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security and Energy Governance Coordination Group (EGCG) in Sierra Leone. As Energy Sector Lead, he oversees all operations of the Ministry of Energy and leads the development of the Mission 300 Compact and provides strategic guidance for the national Clean Cooking Strategy and Delivery Unit. A distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 30 years of experience, he is a former Member of Parliament (MP) in Sierra Leone and the Pan African Parliament. A renowned international consultant, he is also founder and CEO (on leave) of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), a regional ecosystem hub for sustainable energy solutions.
Previously he served for two decades in United Nations System including as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and founding Chief Executive Officer for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative (2013 – 2015).He also served two four-year terms as Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, 2005-2013). In both capacities, inter alia, he mobilized global consensus for SDG-7 and SDG-9. He also serves as Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Energy Governance Coordination Group while continuing his global engagements as a member of various international advisory bodies, boards and commissions.
Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security
As Energy Sector Lead, Dr. Yumkella managerial and technical oversight of the Ministry of Energy and the operations of the three key entities within the energy sector on behalf of the President of Sierra Leone who is the substantive minister. In this role, he plays a critical role focus in addressing Sierra Leone's longstanding electricity challenges, including unreliable and unaffordable power supply, transmission and distribution inefficiencies, and inadequate sector governance as well as providing strategic for the Electricity Distribution and Supply Agency (EDSA), Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC), and Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC),offering catalytic support to address immediate and short-term challenges within the sector, facilitating the policy and institutional reforms necessary for the sector's transformation and steering the design and implementation of investment promotion initiatives aimed at boosting the sector's capacity and sustainability.
As Chairman of PI-CREF, Dr. Yumkella leads efforts in guiding and coordinating efforts to address climate change, renewable energy, and food security issues throughout the entire country. This includes the development, management, coordination and strategic alignment of public policy andnational development efforts towards the priority areas of achieving climate resilience, access to sustainable energy solutions, and Food Security
Former UN Under-Secretary-General | Special Representative of the Secretary-General and CEO
Dr. Yumkella brought a renewed and vital focus to global energy issues and led the coordination of the United Nations response to energy issues.
As Special Representative, Dr. Yumkella mobilized action toward a sustainable energy future and accelerated the implementation of the Secretary-General’s initiative. In this role, he successfully engaged with the leadership of relevant stakeholders in government, businesses, academia and civilsociety at the highest level to advocate for and promote sustainable energy for all.
In July 2015, Dr. Yumkella stepped down from the United Nations to return to his native, Sierra Leone, to contest presidential and parliamentary elections. Though he lost the presidential election, he won a seat in the Sierra Leone Parliament and was later elected to serve on the Pan-AfricanParliament of the African Union.
Prior to his appointment as Special Representative and Chief Executive, Dr. Yumkella was appointed Co-Chair of the High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All by United Nations Secretary General in recognition of his leadership and passion for energy and environment-related causes following adecision by the United Nations General Assembly to designate 2012 as the International Year for Sustainable Energy for All. In this position, he was instrumental in guiding the initiative and in underscoring the need for universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and enhanced deployment of renewable sources of energy.
From 2008-2015 the United Nations Secretary-General appointed him Chair of UN-Energy in an effort to bring together all the United Nations organizations dealing with energy related issues. As its Chairman, Dr. Yumkella brought a renewed and vital focus to global energy issues and helped to coordinate the United Nations response to energy issues. The Secretary-General has requested Dr. Yumkella to remain in this position.
From 2008 – 2010, Dr. Yumkella was Chair of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC). As Chair of AGECC, he played a leadinginternational role in identifying the lack of access to energy as a crucial constraint for development efforts. In April 2010, the group released its report and confirmed the need to increase energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy options to confront the challenges of climate change and realize the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
As a Member of the Rio+20 Principals Group, he played a crucial role in the preparations leading to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and has been an active member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), with responsibilities for setting and coordinating the global development priorities of the United Nations.
Former UNIDO Director-General
Dr. Yumkella is the first from Sub-Saharan Africa to have been appointed to the Director-General position having worked in various high-level policy positions in the organization, including as Special Adviser to two previous Directors-General and as Director of the Africa and Least Developed Countries Regional Bureau as well as Representative and Director of the first UNIDO Regional Office in Nigeria.
Under his leadership, UNIDO was at the forefront in providing solutions to many of the challenges the global community faces today: poverty, jobs, wealth creation and climate change. UNIDO also experienced an unprecedented level of growth in its programmes and has maintained a role as the largest provider of trade-related technical assistance to developing countries in the United Nations system. This assistance has enabled many developing countries to produce and export goods meeting international standards.
Dr. Yumkella has also consistently championed the cause of cleaner production and strengthened the role of UNIDO as the second largest implementing agency in the United Nations system in helping countries to phase out ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. He also continues to provide leadership in deepening the programmatic and management reforms that have made UNIDO a model of reform in the United Nations system.
As special adviser to two former UNIDO Directors-General, he provided advice, leadership and strategic guidance on managing multilateral programmes, multicultural teams and interdisciplinary advisory services in fields such as institutional capacity-building, trade capacity-building, poverty reduction, industrial development dialogue and country-level donor coordination. Mr. Yumkella hasconsistently provided conceptual and operational leadership at national, sub-regional and regional levels and managed staff at UNIDO Headquarters and field offices related to Africa and LDCs.
He has facilitated international cooperation and strategic partnerships with bilateral and multilateral development agencies, including other United Nations agencies, and throughout his career he has consistently promoted interregional cooperation as well as South-South cooperation. He also facilitated high-level policy dialogue, consensus-building, advocacy and diplomatic negotiations at conferences of Heads of State, including the African Union, the Conference of African Ministers of Industry (CAMI), and United Nations global conferences.
Dr. Yumkella has extensive specialized executive and advisory experience in programme formulation, management and implementation and funds mobilization in fields such as private sector development, public-private sector dialogue and partnerships, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) support systems, capacity-building in industry and business associations, trade capacity-building, agro-industry and rural development.
Role in global advocacy and public policy
Dr. Yumkella is a strong believer that the most effective way to fight poverty is to strengthen the productive capacities of countries and peoples. He has advocated for pro-poor sustainable industrial and agribusiness development as a means of wealth and job creation and the economicempowerment of the poor.
With his commitment to multilateralism and consensus-building, he has visited all regions during his period as UNIDO Director General and he has travelled extensively to listen to regional political and private sector stakeholders. Dr. Yumkella is a firm believer in the linkage between “energy poverty” and “income poverty” in developing countries and promotes the use of renewable energy to improve the productive capacities and welfare of rural communities.
Dr. Yumkella has continued his global engagements in international development especially in sustainable energy, frequently serving as a consultant, member of global commissions, advisory boards and facilitator and moderator of sessions in major high-level conferences. He has participated in and/or delivered key policy speeches at numerous major international forums and events concerning global trade, development and climate change and energy issues.
Ministerial and political leadership experience
Dr. Yumkella was Minister of Trade, Industry and State Enterprises between 1994 -1995 in Sierra Leone. As part of Sierra Leone’s economic reform programmes, he guided trade commerce and industrial policy formulation including implementation and monitoring. His portfolio also includedderegulation, public enterprise reform and divestiture, promotion of cooperative societies and establishment of programmes for private sector and small and medium enterprise development.
He successfully promoted market reforms and signed Sierra Leone's accession to the African Regional Standards Organization (ARSO) and launched initiatives to promote private sector development, establishment of public-private sector partnership and dialogue mechanisms.
He organized consultative processes between the government and the private sector for discussing constraints and obstacles to private sector growth with support from UNIDO, International Trade Centre (ITC), African Project Development Facility (APDF) and UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa
(UNDP/RBA).
As co-chair of the Public Enterprise Reform and Divestiture Commission (the privatization council), supervised an internal review of the privatization programme and promoted local awareness- building and domestic private sector participation in the programme.
Dr. Yumkella also served as a member of the ministerial-level structural adjustment monitoring committee which provided oversight on policy reforms dealing with rationalization of the civil service work force, judicial reform, petroleum product pricing, and monetization of the rice subsidy.
Research, teaching and technical expertise
Between 1987 and 1996, he held various academic positions at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois. As a development expert and former assistant professor, Dr. Yumkella has extensive research and teaching experience in agribusiness management and international agricultural development and trade.
He has published various articles, book chapters, staff working papers and policy briefs on crucial development issues related to economics, the international commodity trade, structural transformation in African agricultural and industrial sectors, as well as rural development, povertyalleviation, and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Yumkella has maintained links with various academic and research institutions, such as the Center for the Study of African Economies, Oxford University, and has given lectures to students and faculty at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United Nations University in Tokyo; the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade; the Vienna Diplomatic Academy; Xavier Institute of Labor Relations (XLRI) in India; Seoul National University in Korea; Corvinus University in Budapest, Hungary; Michigan State University and University of Illinois in the USA, University of Lagos, (UNILAG), the University of Makeni, among others.
Awards and Honors
Mr. Yumkella is the recipient of numerous international awards including:
* Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Ghana (March 24, 2017), Accra,
Ghana
* 2016 Hans Carl von Carlowitz Sustainability Award, (October 28, 2016), Chemnitz, Germany
* 2016 African Utility Week Power Industry Lifetime Achievement Award, (May 18, 2016),
Cape Town, South Africa
* 2015 Development Champion Award (October 17, 2015) – Brussels, Belgium
* Order of Merit of the Austrian Republic (July 28, 2015) – Vienna, Austria
* Commander of the National Order of Cote d’Ivoire (June 25, 2013)
* 2013 AAI Distinguished Alumni Award (September 2013) – New York, USA
* 2013 Energy Efficiency Visionary Award (ASE-EE Global Forum) for his steadfast commitment
to the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative and his work to advance the next generation of
energy efficiency through the pillars of investment, education and modernization.
* 2012 South-South and Triangular Cooperation Visionary Award (United Nations of South-
South Cooperation)
* 2012 United Nations Association (UNA-USA) Global Leadership Award for the leadership he
has provided to strengthen the United Nations, New York, USA
* Award of “Honorary Professor” by the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Ulan
Bator, Mongolia (April 2012)
* Wissam Award for service and son of Africa (March 30, 2011)
* Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria in recognition of
his contribution to global industrial development and poverty alleviation in the world,
(March 2012), Ekiti State, Nigeria
* Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from the Njala University, Njala, Sierra Leone in March
2011
* Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) from TERI University, New Delhi in October 2010 in
recognition of his achievements and his contribution to society
* Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) at the 150th Year Special Convocation and Valedictory
Function, September 2008, University of Madras, India
* 2008 Champion of Youth Award at the 4th World Youth Congress, August 2008, in Quebec
City, Canada
* Madhuri and Jagdish N. Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement,
April 2008, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
* Presented by Prince Albert of Monaco the award of the "Prix De la Fondation" of the Crans
Montana Forum for his global leadership and work in development, June 2006, Monaco.
* Honorary Distinguished Visiting Professor by the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, March
2006, China
Global leadership and consensus building |Membership on Commissions and Advisory
Boards
* Member Sustainable Energy for ALL Advisory Group
* Member UN Technical Working Group on Enabling SDGs through Inclusive Just Transitions
* Member High-Level Dialogue on Energy Technical Working Group on Enabling SDGs through
Inclusive, Just Energy Transitions
* Member – International Advisory group for the World Energy Congress
* Advisory Member of the UNDP, World Bank and World Health Organization funded Health
and Energy Platform for Action (HEPA)
Page 5 of 7
* Member – Advisory Board for the Modern Energy Cooking Services Program at the
Loughborough University (DFIF Funded)
* Member of the Board, The Rocky Mountain Institute
* Co-chair of the Africa-Europe Foundation Strategy Group on Energy
* Power Africa Senior Advisors Group
* Fellow of the US Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils – GFCC
* Member, IEA Global Commission on Energy Efficiency
* Chair of the African Union – European Union High-Level Platform on Sustainable Energy
Investments
* Member, Global Commission to End Energy Poverty
* Member, Power for All Board,
* Member, We Care Solar Advisory Board
* Member, Energy Transition Commission (ETC)
* Judge, The 2018 Hult Prize Challenge, United Nations, New York, September 2018
* Co-Founder, African Energy Leadership Group, (AELG)
* Member, World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Council on Climate Change, 2010-current.
* Member, World Economic Forum, Future of Electricity Council
* Member, China International Council on Cooperation for Environment and Development
(CICCED), Chaired by the Vice Premier of China, 2010-current.
* Member of the Board -The Schwarzenegger Institute of State and Global Policy (2012-)
* Member, Advisory Group on the Human Development index, 2012.
* Member, Advisory Group of the International Peace Institute, Vienna Branch, 2011-current.
* Member of the European Resource Efficiency (ERE) Platform, 2012
* Member of Japanese Council of Eminent Persons and Experts, 2014
List of selected recent Op-eds
* Access to equitable vaccines distribution depends on renewable energy
https://newafricanmagazine.com/25431/
* Energy access and clean cooking solutions must be part of COVID-19 recovery plans
https://newafricanmagazine.com/23272/
* Energy, Employment and Migration in Africa: syndicate.org/commentary/africa-migration-employment-youth-agriculture-renewable-
energy-by-kandeh-k-yumkella-2019-09
* The Energy Internet: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/kandeh-k--yumkella-
proposes-three-coalitions-that-could-catalyze-the-third-industrial-
revolution?barrier=accesspaylog
* The Power of the Prize : https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/rewarding-
innovation-to-secure-sustainable-energy-for-all-by-kandeh-k--
yumkella?barrier=accesspaylog
* Op-eds at Project Syndicate
https://www.project-syndicate.org/columnist/kandeh-k-yumkella
* Don’t shut the door on Africa
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/jun/28/africa-recession
https://www.project-
Page 6 of 7
* Africa ’s new energy bonanza https://newafricanmagazine.com/5700/
Education
* Ph.D. Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois, USA – 1991
* M.Sc. Agricultural Economics, Cornell University, USA – 1986
* B.Sc. Division One (Cum Laude) in Agriculture, Njala University College, Sierra Leone – 1982
Date of Birth: 5 July 1959
Employment Record
* Founder and CEO, The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), 2019 – present
* Adviser to the Executive-Director of International Energy Agency (IEA) on African
Cooperation and Energy Access, June 2019 – present
* Special Rapporteur and Coordinator for the High-Level Coalition of Leaders for Clean
Cooking and Heath and Energy Platform of Action (HEPA)- a joint initiative of UN DESA –
Division of Sustainable Development Goals, UN Development Program (UNDP), World Health
Organization (WHO), The World Bank, Hivos and ENERGIA, May 2019 - present
* Coordinator – EU – African Union High-Level Platform on Sustainable Energy Investments
(SEI), March 2019 - present
* Member, the Pan-African Parliament of the African Union, 2018 - 2020
* Member of Parliament, Sierra Leone, 2018 - present
* Sustainable Energy for All Consultant, August – December 2015
* International Consultant, (July 2015-Present)
* UN -Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief
Executive Officer, Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (July 2013 – July 2015)
* December 2005-2009: Director General of UNIDO; re-elected December 2009 -2013
* 2003-2005: Special Adviser to the Director General of UNIDO
* 2000-2003: UNIDO Representative and Director, Regional Industrial Development Centre,
Nigeria
* 1996-2000: Director, Africa and LDCs Regional Bureau of UNIDO
* 1996: Special Adviser to the Director General of UNIDO
* 1994-1995: Minister for Trade, Industry and State Enterprises, Republic of Sierra Leone
* 1991-1996: Assistant Professor and Lecturer, Michigan State University, (leave of absence
1994-1995)
* 1989-1991: Assistant to the Dean, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois
* 1987-1989: Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois
* 1982-1986: Marketing Officer, Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Board (leave of absence)
