GWP West Africa gets new chair, secretary

The Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) has announced the appointment of Prof. Amadou Hama MAIGA of Mali as the new Chair and Mr. Armand Houanye of Benin as the new Executive Secretary of the organisation.
The appointment was proclaimed following a recruitment process approved by the Assembly of Partners on 29 September 2017 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Professor MAIGA from Mali, is the former Director General of the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE). He has a 37-year professional career mainly dedicated to scientific and professional training and research & development in the fields of water, sanitation and environment in Africa and internationally.
After 5 years of experience in engineering, then in higher education in his country, Mali and Switzerland, he joined the then Inter-States school for Engineers and rural equipment (EIER) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1986. Within the EIER, which became later the International Institute for Water and Environment Engineering (2iE) resulting from the EIER reform, he held various positions as Associate Professor, Professor, head of department (2 years), director of research (8 years), deputy director general (9 years) and director general (3 years).
At the end of his mission at 2iE on 30 June 2016, he joined the National School for Engineers of Bamako (ENI), his home institution.
Similarly, Houanye the new Executive Secretary has 17 years of working experience in agricultural water management, IWRM, climate resilience, water governance and integrity. He holds a Master’s degree in Climate Risks Management with a Diploma of Agricultural Engineering in Development and Management of Natural Resources.
Houanye started to work with GWP since 2004. He joined GWP Benin in April 2004 as the Executive Secretary, and contributed to the growth of the CWP-Benin in the fields of project development and resources mobilization to implement IWRM interventions and addressing development challenges from national and local levels.
In 2013, Mr. Houanye contributed to the establishment of the GWP Africa Coordination Unit where he worked as the Capacity Development Programme Manager supporting technically and strategically the implementation of the Africa Union / AMCOW’s Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP).
Since May 2015, he is the GWP Africa Technical Advisor working with GWP Network Officers GWP Africa Senior Technical Advisor and Regional Programme Officers to support African regions and countries in programme planning and implementation and monitoring of GWP thematic programs in Africa. Emphasis on Institutional and Technical Capacity Development, Stakeholders engagement, Investment Planning, Project Preparation and Financing to advancing IWRM implementation, National Adaptation Planning (NAP) processes, Climate Resilience Development and IUWM.
Armand Houanye will take over the GWP West Africa’s Executive Secretariat position held by Dam Mogbante who has worked for GWP for 19 years since the start of GWP action in the region.