February 23rd 2021 – TDB Group mourns the passing of one of Africa’s most iconic economists in recent years, Prof. Benno Ndulu, and pays tribute to this giant of an African intellectual and central banker.
Among others, Prof. Ndulu will be remembered by many for the farsighted macroeconomic stabilization policies he spearheaded while Governor of the Central Bank of Tanzania – contributing to the country’s economic take-off and broader financial inclusion over the past decade.
He will be missed by generations of students and institutions of higher learning across the continent and globally, who have been touched by his intellect, his wit, and his humanity as professor, and inspired many more to go above and beyond to realize the continent’s potential.
African leaders, top policymakers and captains of industry will equally miss his wise counsel, as will the research community – in particular, the African Economic Research Consortium, where he played a pioneering role in its establishment and leadership.
Prof. Ndulu will be deeply missed at TDB, where he was a source of wisdom and guidance, serving as one of the few select members of the TDB Eminent Persons Advisory Panel. He was also the Honorary Chairperson of the TDB Central Bank Panel, working alongside several central bank Governors in the region and providing valuable insights on how TDB and central banks can work more closely together in the context of the Tripartite Free Trade Area, from Cape to Cairo.
On this very sad occasion, TDB Group Managing Director and CEO Admassu Tadesse, said “I recall so fondly how Prof. Ndulu brilliantly served as the inaugural Chairman of the TDB Central Bank Roundtable Meeting in the Seychelles at our 2016 Annual Meetings, setting in motion new promising initiatives. He was part of the TDB family. We are so heartbroken. Prof. Ndulu is without doubt one the finest African contemporary intellectuals and tacticians of our times, an economic luminary, an example of public leadership, and a truly humble man of integrity and diligence.”
While his legacy will live on in many ways and in several institutions and individuals that he enriched and inspired – it is with a heavy heart that, we, the TDB Family, extend our deepest condolences to Prof. Ndulu’s family, friends, and colleagues, as well as to the people and Government of Tanzania. May his soul rest in peace.
