Steven Omamo to head World Food Programme Office in Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA – Steven Were Omamo is the World Food Programme’s (WFP) new Country Director in Ethiopia, the agency announced on Monday.
Omamo said he was honoured to head one of WFP's largest operations, as he presented his letter of appointment to H.E. Professor Afework Kassu, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
“Having worked earlier in Ethiopia, the country remains very close to my heart,” he said. “Its proud history and culture have long inspired me. Its recent development performance has been exemplary. I look forward to working closely with the Government, donors and partners in striving towards our shared goal of Zero Hunger.”
Omamo was appointed to his new role by WFP Executive Director David Beasley. He joined WFP in 2006 as its Chief of Social Protection and Livelihoods, later serving as Director and Representative to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa, in Addis Ababa. Prior to taking up his new role in Ethiopia, Omamo was Deputy Director of Policy and Programme, and Coordinator of Food Systems Strategy, Policy and Support at WFP headquarters, Rome.
He also served as Deputy Director of Policy, Planning and Chief of Food Security and Safety Nets.
Prior to joining WFP, Omamo was Director of Global Engagement and Research with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Director of Policy and Advocacy with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Senior Research Fellow and Coordinator of the Eastern Africa Food Policy Network with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
In addition, he was Research Officer with the International Service for National Agricultural Research, Research Scientist with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Technical Advisor with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Technical Advisor with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), and Lecturer at Egerton University, Kenya.
Omamo is a Kenyan national and holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and MA in International Development Policy from Stanford University, an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of Connecticut, and a BSc in Agribusiness from California State University, Fresno.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Paul Anthem, WFP/Ethiopia, Tel. +0115172131; Mob. +251911513817
Melese Awoke, WFP/Ethiopia, Tel. +0115172133; Mob. +251911201981
