Speaker Profile

BIOGRAPHY

Symerre Grey-Johnson has been a key figure within the NEPAD programme since 2007, officially joining the agency in 2014. With an extensive and distinguished career across multiple leadership roles, he has played a central part in shaping and advancing NEPAD’s strategic vision. Over the years, he has served in several senior positions, including Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, Chief of Staff, Head of Regional Integration, Infrastructure and Trade, and Director of Operations. He currently serves as the Director of Human Capital, Social and Institutional Development, where his leadership continues to drive impactful initiatives across the continent. Mr Grey-Johnson’s visionary leadership was instrumental in the transformation of the NEPAD Secretariat into the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and ultimately into the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). In his current role, he has spearheaded several flagship initiatives, including the revitalisation of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa, institutional development programmes, the technical coordination of efforts supporting the operationalisation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), the Programme for Investment and Financing in Africa’s Health Sector (PIFAH), and the Africa’s Demographic Dividend and Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme (A2DSRH)—all aimed at transforming Africa’s health economy. Through his unwavering commitment to Africa’s development agenda, Mr Grey-Johnson has made a profound contribution to regional integration, institutional strengthening, and the continent’s capacity to address health and economic challenges. His work stands as a testament to his dedication to sustainable development and Africa’s long-term prosperity.