Nardos Bekele-Thomas

Nardos Bekele-Thomas (born 1958 or 1959) is an Ethiopian economist and professor who has been serving as the first female Director-General of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) since 2022. She previously worked in several international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Secretariat, and is also member of the supervisory board of the Global Center on Adaptation.

Early life Bekele-Thomas was born in 1958 or 1959 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Empire. She was the fifth of 14 siblings; her father was a civil servant and farmer who also ran a business with his wife. She took up the post on 1 May. The Assembly of the African Union re-elected her in February 2026.

Bekele-Thomas joined the supervisory board of Global Center on Adaptation on 26 November 2025 alongside several former heads of st.

She has worked in particular to empower young people and women.