Togo: Former IMF Resident Representative, Jules Tapsoba, appointed Deputy Chief Economist at Afreximbank
Monday, 19 February 2024 18:17 
(Togo First) - The IMF’s former resident representative in Togo, Sampawende Jules Tapsoba, has been appointed Deputy Chief Economist at Afreximbank. He will also be heading a new department dedicated to data management and model development at the bank.
Dr. Sampawende Jules Tapsoba has been appointed Deputy Chief Economist and Director of the Data Management and Model Development Department at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Tapsoba was the IMF’s resident representative in Togo from September 2017 to August 2021. At the time, he played a major role in implementing the country’s three-year program which was validated in May 2017. This program was supported by a $244.8 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF). It paved the way for major economic reforms, focused on optimizing public revenue mobilization and prudent debt management. Under his tenure in Lomé, the country’s public debt decreased, from over 82% to 51%.
Dr. Tapsoba holds a Ph.D. in International Economics and a Master’s in International Economics, Development Economics, and Project Management from the University of Auvergne, France. He also holds a Master’s in Banking Management from the Centre de Formation de l'Association Bancaire du Togo.
Tapsoba joined the IMF in 2010. He served as the institution’s Senior Economist for Malawi and Rwanda, co-led its African Department Surveillance Network, and held a top position within the IMF’s African Department Research Advisory Group.
Before joining the IMF, the Burkinabé citizen was Assistant Director of the French Treasury's Aid Unit, Economist at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economist at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Economist at the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), and Assistant Professor at the Clermont School of Economics. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for International Development Studies and Research (FERDI), with a research interest focusing on international finance, inclusive growth, and regional integration.
Dr. Sampawende Jules Tapsoba joins Afreximbank at a time when the Bank’s Chief Economist Department is going through an overhaul. This is after the departure of Hippolyte Fofack.
The position of Chief Economist, which is directly above Tapsoba’s, is occupied by the Nigerian Yemi Kale.
As Deputy Chief Economist, Jules Tapsoba will focus on researching and developing strategic studies, in Africa’s French-speaking countries especially. Reportedly, this is part of a wider strategy to balance the Bank's approach, which is often perceived as being primarily geared towards English-speaking countries.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
