Sarah Lawan

Sarah Lawan is a development practitioner specialised in international relations with a focus on Africa. At the Finance for Development Lab, she contributes to the Amplifying Africa’s Voices initiative.

Before joining the Lab, Sarah was Advisor for External Relations at the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC). She was in charge of the relationships with Members and partners of the Club as well as the valorisation of the SWAC’s productions. Prior to joining the SWAC in 2019, she was Advisor for Regional Co-operation in the Networks, Partnerships and Gender Division of the OECD Development Centre in Paris.

From 2009 to 2016, Sarah was working for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) in New York, notably performing Advocacy and Multi-Stakeholder Mobilisation on the Post-2015 development agenda for Africa.

She holds an engineer degree in scientific instrumentation and applied business as well as a master degree in innovation, industrial, and international marketing. She also completed the Harvard Kennedy School Innovation for Economic Development executive education program.