Executive Chair, Africa Governance Centre

Board Chair, African Trade Chamber

Former Secretary-General, Socialist International

Benedicta Lasi is a lawyer, development economist and governance expert whose work focuses on strengthening institutions, advancing policy coherence, and supporting African governments in shaping long-term national development strategies. Her career is anchored in practical engagement with governments, public institutions, and multilateral and privatesector partners across the continent.

She serves as Executive Chair of the Africa Governance Centre (AGC), a continental institution dedicated to improving governance systems and supporting governments with the tools and frameworks needed to address both immediate and structural challenges. Under her leadership, AGC’s work spans political governance, economic governance, public-sector administration, security governance, and natural resource governance. AGC collaborates with national authorities on governance diagnostics, reform design, inter-agency coordination, and the strengthening of public institutions in ways that support national priorities.

Within AGC, she oversees the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) – a platform that brings political parties together in a structured, non-partisan manner to address governance and policy challenges that require broad political cooperation. APPI facilitates dialogue among political actors on national development priorities, enabling governments to pursue reform and implementation agendas with greater policy continuity, stability, and shared understanding across the political landscape.

Benedicta also serves as Board Chair of the African Trade Chamber (ATC), which works with governments, DFIs, investors, and the private sector to improve trade facilitation and advance the development of industrial value chains across the continent. ATC supports countries in expanding market access, strengthening enterprise capabilities, and aligning investment opportunities with national development plans, particularly within the context of AfCFTA.

Her earlier service as Secretary-General of Socialist International brought her into close working relationships with political leaders and multilateral institutions from across the world, experience that now complements her engagements on governance and economic transformation in Africa.

Benedicta works on helping countries align governance systems, political cooperation, and economic strategy in ways that support long-term national progress. Through her roles in AGC and ATC, she works with governments to connect development ambitions with the institutional, policy, and partnership arrangements needed for effective implementation.