Ms. Enoh T Ebong is a Nigerian-born American attorney and trade official currently serving as the director of the United States Trade and Development Agency. Ms Ebong’s return to USTDA meant a return to an organization where she had already served in a variety of roles from 2004 to 2019. Ms Ebong’s appointment as director first African and first immigrant to serve in this role, resulted in her overseeing an organization with a budget of $90 million and nearly 100 employees.
Her committments include to ensure USTDA is “an effective development agency that delivers results for the American taxpayers.” Ms Ebong has also said that she is “committed to expanding [USTDA’s] partnerships across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean.” Prior to joining USTDA in 2004, Ms Ebong practised law at Boston office of Mintz. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Master of Arts in history from the University of Edinburgh, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. She was nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
See also: Adewale Adeyemo, Nigeria-born, US Deputy Treasury Secretary
Ms. Ebong, appointment as director made her the first African to serve in this role. Ms. Ebong has spent her career working on international development issues, including trade, investment, and infrastructure development. She most recently served as a Senior Adviser at the USTDA, where she provided strategic guidance on the agency’s programs and initiatives. Ms. Ebong also served as a Program Manager at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and as a Senior Economist at the World Bank Group. In her current role, Ms. Ebong is responsible for leading the USTDA’s efforts to promote economic growth and job creation through trade and investment in developing countries around the world. Ms.
Ebong is a widely respected development expert, and America is confident that she will be an excellent leader of the USTDA. She is one of many accomplished Black people who are making an impact on the world stage. Indeed, the world can shed more light on the contributions of these individuals making a difference in a wide range of fields, from academia to the arts to business. As Ms. Ebong’s career demonstrates, there is no limit to what can be achieved when given the opportunity to succeed.
