OTTAWA, CANADA – Nutrition International is pleased to announce the appointment of His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the former prime minister of Niger, to its Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mayaki to our global board, and to be working with him towards our collective goal of ending malnutrition,” said David de Ferranti, Chair of Nutrition International’s Board of Directors. “His vast experience, knowledge, and expertise in international relations, development and government will be valuable assets to Nutrition International.”

Dr. Mayaki served as Prime Minister of Niger from 1997 to 2000. Prior to this, from 1996 to 1997, he held the positions of Minister in charge of African Integration and Cooperation and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger. In 2004, he served as Executive Director of the Platform in support of Rural Development in West and Central Africa, the Rural Hub, based in Dakar, Senegal. From 2009 to 2022, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).

“We are excited that Dr. Mayaki is joining the board at this critical time,” said Joel Spicer, president and CEO of Nutrition International. “He joins a unique global group of high-powered, caring people who are committed to nutrition, committed to the organization, and able to provide the guidance, wisdom, and influence we need to succeed.   Nutrition International’s board is a crucial factor in our ability to deliver the greatest good for the people we serve and Dr. Mayaki’s arrival makes it even stronger.”

Among many other eminent roles on the international stage, Dr. Mayaki has held several positions with a specific focus on nutrition. In 2016, he was appointed to serve on the High-Level Panel on the Future of the Development Assistance Committee and, later that year, he was appointed by then United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. In January 2023, Dr. Mayaki was appointed as the African Union Special Envoy for Food Systems.

“Working to eliminate malnutrition is key to building a better, more prosperous world,” said Dr. Mayaki. “We must work to ensure that nutrition security – not only food security – stays at the top of the global development agenda because without it, we risk undoing decades of development progress. Nutrition security and food security must be looked at together so we can ensure that not only people get the foods they need to survive, but they get the right foods to provide them with the micronutrients they need to thrive. I’m looking forward to working closely with the experts from a variety of complementary fields on the Nutrition International board to get this message across to decision makers at the global, regional, and national levels.”

Founded in Canada in 1992 and headquartered in Ottawa, Nutrition International is committed to ending malnutrition around the world. Nutrition International’s global Board of Directors is comprised of former heads of state and leaders in philanthropy, academia, think-tanks, advocacy and impact investing. The board provides guidance and support as the organization works to improve the lives of more than one billion people, particularly women, adolescent girls and children, with better nutrition by 2030.

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