The Emmanual Ebot Mbi Foundation is named after our founder. A man who spent his entire career in the International Development space not just a career choice but as a natural continuation of his desire to help people.

His father passed away when he was six years old.  Molded by and benefitting from family (older brothers and sisters) solidarity and a strong-willed  but overly generous and kind-hearted mother, Emmanuel E. Mbi was raised in the town of Mamfe, South West Region of Cameroon where he attended missionary elementary school thereafter proceeding to missionary secondary school in the town of Kumba. After a stint working for the Government (Public Works Department)  based in the town of Victoria (now Limbe), he went on to the United States of America for his university education which he graduated at all levels with several distinctions.

Following his studies, he had a long career in International Development, which allowed him to mingle in a diverse environment. Prior to joining the African Development Bank (AfDB) as First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (FVP/COO) in July 2012, Emmanuel E. Mbi worked for over 33 years at The World Bank where he held several positions, the last being Director of Strategy and Operations, covering the Middle East and North Africa  Region (MENA), a role he combined with that of Director of Core Operational Services. Prior to these, he had held the positions of Regional (Country) Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti, Regional (Country) Director the Great Lakes and South/Central Africa (Burundi, Congo, DRC, Rwanda and Multi-country Demobilization and Reintegration Program—MDRP), Resident Representative in Togo and Benin, several years as Senior/Principal Operations Officer in the Latin America and Caribbean and Africa Regions. He also worked in the South Asia Region early in his career. 

At the World Bank, his accolades included a World Bank Diversity and Inclusion Lifetime Leadership Achievement Award in 2012, Good Manager Award from the World Bank Group Staff Association in 2007,  and the Africa Region Mentor Recognition Award in 2002.

Nicknamed by friends in Latin America “Citizen of the World”, in addition to English, he is fluent,  in the French, Spanish, Portuguese and pidgin English languages .  

Following a long prosperous career and propelled by his faith, he wanted to continue to impact lives one individual at a time.