As Senior PPP Specialist, based in Dakar, Aicha is playing a leading role in the PPP Group’s thought leadership, global engagement, and client support with respect to the delivery of high-quality, sustainable PPP policies, programs, and projects, with a particular focus on West and Central Africa (Regional Focal Point). Aicha (i) leads engagement with World Bank Group Country Management teams in the West and Central Africa region to define strategic approaches to supporting clients in the use of PPPs and other forms of private participation in infrastructure to achieve development goals.

Aicha is a seasoned development investment professional with over 13 years' experience advising governments and project sponsors in Africa's infrastructure sector. For the past 10 years, she has worked as an Investment Officer in IFC's PPP Transactions Team (CTA) in Dakar, where she participated in the development and execution of advisory mandates for PPP transactions in sub-Saharan Africa. She led the development and structuring of infrastructure projects and their implementation through international tenders, in various sectors including health, education, water, waste management, sanitation, transport, housing, and energy. She has also contributed to PPP institutional policy reforms, PPP portfolio set up and PPP units operationalization programs in Senegal, Togo, Cape Verde, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Djibouti. In addition to her responsibilities as Investment officer, Aicha held various roles within CTA Africa as regional lead for social infrastructure (health and education) and the water sectors, as well as for the consideration of gender issues in PPPs.

Aicha holds a master's degree in finance from the Bordeaux School of Management and two bachelor's degrees in finance and business administration from IPAG Business School (France) and the University of Hertfordshire (UK). She is a APMG Certified PPP Professional (CP3P).