Dr Daniel Alexander Schroth is the new African Development Bank director of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department.
Schroth, a German, assumed office on May 16. He was initially working on acting capacity in the same position.
“Schroth joined the Bank in 2012 following several senior appointments with various international organizations, including as Political and Economic Adviser to the EU Special Representative for Bosnia aand Herzegovina; Economic Adviser in the EU Delegation to North Macedonia; Energy Sector Coordinator for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, and for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s natural resources team in London,” AfDB said in a statement.
“I am grateful for the confidence placed in me by President Adesina to scale up the African Development Bank’s support for the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the continent, with a view to ensuring that the Bank is at the forefront of driving Africa’s just energy transition,” Schroth upon his appointment.
Schroth holds a Ph.D. and an M.Phil in International Relations, with a focus on international energy policy, from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and degrees in international business administration from Reims Management School, France, and the European School of Business, Reutlingen, Germany.
President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said Schroth is a respected professional, who he said will lead the team to support the Bank’s Regional Member Countries to develop renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean cooking solutions.
Since joining the Bank as principal energy specialist in the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department, Schroth has led various projects across Africa and coordinated several partnerships, including the Sustainable Energy for All Africa Hub, the Africa Climate Technology and Finance Center, the Green Mini-Grid Market Development Program and the Bank’s involvement in the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, the statement added.
In July 2017, he was appointed adviser to the vice president of the energy complex.
“Under his leadership, various partnership agreements were concluded, such as the Regional Development Objectives Agreement with USAID/Power Africa and the $600 million Korea-Africa Energy Investment Framework. Schroth served as acting director from January 2019 up to the time of this appointment,” AfDB said. .
With 20 years of experience in international relations, energy policy and renewable energy, AfDB said Schroth has built a strong network of partners in the areas of energy and climate change.
“He is a recognized expert on Africa’s renewable energy sector and has represented the Bank in many high-level international for a and conferences. He serves on several steering and oversight committees and is a member of the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group,” it said.
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