IFAD appoints new country director to lead $200 million drive for rural transformation in Vietnam

IFAD’s newly appointed country director for Vietnam and head of Multi-Country Office in Hanoi, Enika Basu, on July 30 formally presented her credentials to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang.

“I am honoured to lead IFAD’s work in Vietnam at a time when the country is pursuing an ambitious vision for sustainable, resilient and inclusive rural transformation, including its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Basu.

Enika Basu formally presented her credentials to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang. Photo: IFAD

“IFAD looks forward to working closely with the government of Vietnam, provincial authorities, development partners, the private sector and rural communities to advance greener agriculture and food systems, and expand economic opportunities for small-scale farmers and rural people. IFAD is also committed to supporting Vietnam in showcasing and sharing its successful development model and strategies with other developing countries through South-South cooperation.”

Basu brings nearly two decades of international development experience, with a strong track record in rural transformation, inclusive economic development, and strategic partnerships across Asia-Pacific.

Prior to her appointment, she served as senior adviser to the associate vice-president of IFAD’s Department of Country Operations at IFAD headquarters in Rome, where she contributed to corporate initiatives, including partnerships with multilateral development banks and global financing mechanisms, while supporting the strategic oversight of IFAD’s portfolio and pipeline at a country level.

Photo: IFAD

Before joining IFAD, Basu worked with a Rome-based research institute supporting European Commission programmes on labour market integration across the European Union. She also worked with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in India and civil society organisations to support rural micro and small enterprises and develop microinsurance solutions for workers in the informal economy.

Basu will now lead IFAD’s longstanding partnership with the government of Vietnam. Over the last three decades, IFAD has invested $537 million of its own resources in 19 projects, for an overall value of $918 million. These initiatives have directly reached over 1.4 million rural households, improving rural livelihoods and increasing incomes.

One example of the strong partnership is a recently completed project in Bac Kan and Cao Bang to support commercial smallholder farming. This investment delivered a multidimensional poverty reduction rate of nearly 40 per cent, well above its 25 per cent target.

IFAD currently invests in two ongoing projects with a total value of nearly $200 million in Vietnam, focusing on climate-adaptation and resilience for rural communities and aligned with the government’s vision to 2045.

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