Nene Akwetey-Kodjoe

Nene Akwetey-Kodjoe is the Chief of Party for the African Cocoa Initiative Phase II (ACI II), having previously served as Deputy Chief of Party from 2017 to June 2021 and as Coordinator on the first phase of ACI from 2012 to 2016. Most recently, Nene was Chief of Party for the $24M USAID/West Africa ASSESS project, providing program evaluations and research, monitoring, knowledge and information management (including learning events), and other support services. He ensured Technical, Financial and Administrative oversight to respond to USAID/West Africa’s Regional Economic Growth Office (REGO) needs.

A driven project manager with more than 17 years’ experience in international development, his career has focused on supporting the value chains across the cashew, cocoa, handcrafts, shea, and specialty food sectors, supporting product and business development, training, capacity building, access to finance, and market access for SMEs across West and Central Africa.

As an experienced leader, Nene is adept at managing stakeholder relations, managing partnerships and driving communications with producers, suppliers, financiers, regulators, and government officials. This leadership experience also stems from his significant work on donor projects including with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group.

Nene holds a master’s degree in Development Economics from Université de Clermont Auvergne, a postgraduate diploma in Finance, Accounting and Management from the University of Bradford and a bachelor’s in Economics with Geography and Resource Development from the University of Ghana. Nene speaks fluent English and French as well as basic Spanish.