2026 Speakers

Dr. Marit Kitaw is currently an Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), leading the minerals sector portfolio. She is the Former Interim Director of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), a Specialized Agency of the AU dedicated to harnessing Africa’s minerals for inclusive, people-centered transformational growth, by implementing the Africa Mining Vision (AMV). In this role, she led the adoption of key strategies, including Africa’s Green Minerals Strategy (AGMS). She served on the UN Secretary-General`s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals as the AU’s representative. Dr. Kitaw held positions at AMDC in UNECA, UNDP Mozambique, COMESA, the African Development Bank, and the Institute of World Affairs in Washington, DC. Dr. Marit Kitaw holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Nice/ Sophia-Antipolis in France and an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability from the University of Cumbria, UK. She is passionate about Africa’s development and prosperity, and welcomes out-of-the-box analytical thinking and bold ideas to move the continent forward.