Our people

H.E. Paul Kagame

President of the Republic of Rwanda

H.E. Paul Kagame has been a transformative leader of Rwanda, turning the nation into a model of stability, economic growth, and technological advancement. Under his leadership, Rwanda has achieved inclusive growth and sustainable development, becoming one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies. A cornerstone of Rwanda’s social transformation has been the implementation of homegrown solutions, innovative approaches tailored to the nation’s unique challenges and opportunities, which have fostered resilience and self-reliance.

H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn

Former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn has made a profound contribution to governance and leadership in Africa, particularly during his tenure as Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018. Under his leadership, Ethiopia underwent major economic reforms and emerged as one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies. His governance was marked by a focus on stability, sustainable development, and regional integration, while his leadership in conflict resolution, especially in the Horn of Africa, established him as a respected mediator and statesman.

Francis Gatare

President

Mr. Francis Gatare is the President of the African School of Governance. He has played a prominent role in Rwanda’s policy and governance landscape, including within the Office of the President where he served as Chief Economist, Deputy Head of Policy and Strategy, and Senior Economic Advisor. He has led national institutions as Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), overseeing important reforms in investment promotion, private-sector development, and the modernisation of the natural resources sector. He has also served as Director General of the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency and as Country Office Economist with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mr. Gatare holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Makerere University and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Windsor. He was a Mason Fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Mr. Mark Nkurunziza

Vice President, Finance and Operations

Mark Nkurunziza brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience to ASG. He has held key roles at MTN Rwanda, Rwanda Development Board, and Rwandair, excelling in financial management, strategic planning, and operational efficiency to advance impactful and sustainable development initiatives.

Mark is a chartered accountant and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He holds an MBA in finance from the Maastricht School of Management and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology.

Dr. Jane Adhiambo Chiroma

Director of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor

Dr. Jane Adhiambo Chiroma has over 16 years of experience in quality assurance, curriculum development, and academic leadership in higher education. She has raised academic standards, set up quality assurance systems, and led strategic initiatives at the institutions she has worked in. Her work covers pedagogical and andragogical practice, digital learning, research, and faculty development, and she works with platforms including Open LMS, Blackboard Learn, Moodle, and Microsoft Teams.

She holds a PhD in Education Policy from Stellenbosch University and is a published researcher. She has supervised numerous graduate theses, contributed to policy development, and run capacity-building programmes for faculty. At the African School of Governance, she teaches in the MPA programme in leadership, qualitative research, pedagogy and andragogy, and faculty development.

Ngozichukwu C. Njemanze

Programme Director, Executive Master of Leadership and Governance

Ms. Ngozichukwu C. Njemanze is the Programme Director for the Executive Master in Leadership and Governance at the African School of Governance. A Certified Governance Auditor, Bank Examiner, and Chartered Secretary and Administrator, she brings a distinguished career in governance, strategy, and institutional leadership to this role. A recognised corporate governance thought leader, she previously served as Principal Manager in the Financial Stability Directorate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, where she played a key role in strengthening financial oversight and regulatory frameworks.

Before joining ASG, Ms. Njemanze worked for five years with the World Bank Group’s Legal Vice-Presidency in Washington, D.C., as a Legal Associate, contributing to international development law and governance initiatives. She holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, an MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University, and an LL.B. (Second Class Upper) from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.