The newly appointed Vice Chairperson of the Continental Executive Council (CEC) of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), Barr. Sophie De Sylvie Djoufa Tiemagni, has expressed deep appreciation to the Convener and Chief Executive Officer of ABER, Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, for entrusting her with one of the highest strategic responsibilities in the Roundtable.
In an emotional letter of acceptance, Barr. Tiemagni described the appointment as “not an ordinary appointment, but an extraordinary honour, a tremendous responsibility, and above all, a profound expression of trust.”
“I had to look at it more than once. I could hardly believe my eyes. Your confidence in me means more than I can adequately express in words,” she wrote. “Among so many distinguished and highly accomplished personalities within ABER, why did you choose me? Whatever the reason, I pray that I will never disappoint you or betray the confidence you have placed in me.”
Barr. Tiemagni noted that as a woman, she sees the appointment beyond personal recognition. “I see it as a powerful statement about women’s leadership, women’s capacity and the place of African women in shaping the future of the Blue Economy.”
Appointed under Gazette No: ABER/CEC/CHARTER/09/26/001, the Vice Chairperson of the Continental Executive Council serves as the second-highest executive officer of ABER and a key member of the Presidium.
Her core responsibilities include: Coordinating the 54 National Coordinators and 6 Regional Vice Chairs across North, West, Central, East, Southern Africa and the African Diaspora; Acting for and supporting the Convener/Chair in high-level representation at the African Union, RECs, Presidencies and Development Partners; Leading the harmonization of Regional Blue Economy Strategies into ABER’s continental framework; Co-chairing deliberations of the CEC and ensuring implementation of Council resolutions across all Technical Directorates and Bureaus.
Barr. Tiemagni pledged to translate vision into action:
“Serving as Vice Chairperson means standing alongside you where vision must be transformed into action, where leadership must be translated into results. I am ready. I will let my work answer the question of why you chose me. You have my total commitment.”
The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable is a continental multi-stakeholder networking team of experts, policy makers, governments, and development partners advancing a sustainable, inclusive and sovereign Blue Economy for Africa. Its vision is One Africa. One Ocean. One Prosperous Future.
