①Please tell us about your current work and former work of the African Development Bank.

I graduated from the University of Tsukuba in December 1985.

Immediately after I joined the African Development Bank (AfDB)　based in Cote d'Ivoire, my home country. I had the privilege of holding in number of key positions. I was in charge of thinking new initiatives along with strategic focus of institution.

When I was the assistant of the president of the bank, we visited many times Japan, because we are doing with Japan, and need to keep close contact with Japan and stakeholders in the country.

I was also privilege to hedge, watch the president set up to reform the institution. I was a director of the Reform Implementation Team (RIT), President Office.

My last position was the Central Director, helping the chief operating officer and First Vice President of the bank to focus on the management of institution, to achieve effective institutional coordination, performance and results monitoring coherence.That was also the central platform to think and launch new initiatives for optimal functioning of the Bank.

In January 2015, I created a consultancy firm of which I am the President and CEO, trying to promote business relation between Africa and Japan in particular and the rest of the world at large.

This is a new company with a great ambition. For there is so much we need to do in Africa, and we can do together, with our friends from outside in a true win-win partnership

②Based on your experience, what do you think the merit that you studied at Tsukuba? In addition, please tell me the most impressive memory on your campus life at Tsukuba.

Tsukuba, it's my root, my hometown, where I got my academic degrees (my master and my Ph. D.). Tsukuba, is where I started really building my strong ties and friendship with Japan beyond the technical subjects I studied.

The most important is the cross-cultural and human communication, not to say the heart to heart connection that is so important in building human relations and societies.

I also met my wife and my two children are born in Sakura Mura, now Tsukuba City. Tsukuba is really for me and family foundation. So I keep very very good memories of Tsukuba.

③Please give a message to the University of Tsukuba and our current students.

Tsukuba is a unique place, because Tsukuba is one of the most open universities in Japan, where the foreign student population is so important . So, Tsukuba gives you an excellent platform for making friends from all over the world, Asia and Europe. Tsukuba is an important networking opportunity. I encourage fellow students to make use of their time in Tsukuba to make as many as possible friends to build strong networks of high level contacts and develop among future leaders and policy makers. So far I have been enjoying the benefits of such strong ties and friendship, meeting old friends from Tsukuba when traveling on business or privately across the globe. And that makes my life big time easier.

You should study hard to learn, to go back to put the learning into practice to help your countries. You should do everything you can to consolidate at the same time the human network that is being created from Tsukuba.

Then we can continue that friendship over time through generations, helping to build a better global society.I'm in Cote d'Ivoire, and as a SENPAI available to welcome many of young stars coming up. Please feel free anytime to ask me a question or something, and most importantly do stay in touch

Thank you.