Mills sets economic team...Ismael Yamson, Togbe Afede, Cadman Atta Mills on board

Owing to the challenges presented by the global economic recession, coupled with Ghana's ailing economy, President John Evans Atta Mills has set up an Economic Advisory Council (EAC).

The team, which has Dr. Gobind Nankani as its Chairperson, would be advising the President on key economic policy issues and policy options in managing the impact of the current global and domestic economic challenges, and maximizing the full potential of existing opportunities.

A release signed and issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, said “the EAC in its work shall collaborate closely with existing institutions for economic policy formulation, development and implementation.”

Other members of the team include the controversial Chief of the Asogli state, in the Volta region, Togbe Afede XIV, Mr. Ishmael Yamson, Mr. Fred Ohene Kena and the President's own brother, Dr. Cadman Atta Mills.

The rest include Prof. K. N. Afful, Dr. Emmanuel Ablo, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah– Arthur, Dr. K. Y. Amoako and Mr. Joel Hyde.

Dr. Gobind Nankani, a Ghanaian native, was recently appointed President of the Global Development Network (GDN) in 2007. Dr. Nankani is a Development Economist, and has had a distinguished 30 year career at the World Bank, holding management positions in various regions and sectors across the Bank. Prior to joining GDN, Dr. Nankani served as the Vice President for the Africa region between 2004 and 2006.

In this position, he was responsible for the overall strategy and management of the Bank's program of financial knowledge and client relationships with all 47 Sub-Saharan African countries. He was also responsible for the overall design and implementation of the World Bank's Africa Action Plan.

Since 1976, he has held various positions with the World Bank, excluding brief leaves of absence for economic duties in Ghana. Prior to holding the position of Vice President of the Africa region, Dr. Nankani was the Vice-President of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network (PREM) from 2001 to 2004, in which he oversaw the Bank-wide work on poverty reduction, growth, governance, trade, gender and debt issues, including the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program.

He has also served as Country Director for Brazil from 1997 until 2001, and prior to which he served as Country Director for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Uruguay from 1994 to 1997.

Dr. Nankani has also been the Chief Economist for the South Asia region and has also served as economic advisor to the government of Ghana. He provided overall direction to the 2004 publication, titled Economic Growth in the 1990's: Learning from a Decade of Reform. Dr. Nankani's other recent publications include Acting Strategically and Building Trust: Reflections from Brazil and At the Forefront of Development: Reflections from the World Bank.

Dr. Nankani recieved a fellowship to Harvard University, where he earned a Master's and Ph.D. degree in Economics in 1976. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ghana.