Aims and objectives
The Governing Council provides oversight for the realisation of the API vision in accordance with its mandate as guided by the API constitution.
Enlist support for the goals and expected outcomes of the professionalisation initiative in Africa.
Oversee the establishment of multi-stakeholder support for the initiative.
Approve a strategy for effective relationships amongst stakeholders including international organisations and regional groupings of applicable political and national institutions;
Engage with potential donor agencies on funding for the implementation of the Strategy.
Governing Council
Modou Ceesay – Chairperson, API Governing Council – 5 May 2025
Auditor General, The Gambia | Champion of Public Sector Excellence | Architect of Africa’s Professionalisation Future
Modou Ceesay isn’t just leading change — he is the change. Elected as the First Chairperson of the API Governing Council on 5 May 2025, Ceesay brings visionary leadership forged at the intersection of public accountability, governance, and systems transformation. As Auditor General of The Gambia, he has chaired national and regional oversight boards, pioneered standards for transparency, and laid the foundation for professionalising public finance across Africa.
A founding member of The Gambia Chapter of the IIA and a trusted voice in high-stakes financial reform, Ceesay has already delivered results: Gambia’s MOU with API, national learner onboarding, and strategic partnerships — all driven or influenced by his leadership.
As Chair, Ceesay brings bold ambition: to elevate API into the continent’s most trusted engine for ethical, skilled, and future-ready public sector professionals. Under his leadership, the message is clear — professionalisation is no longer optional; it’s a strategic imperative.
Taina Nankela – Vice Chairperson, API Governing Council – 5 May 2025
Accountant General, Namibia | 26-Year Public Finance Strategist | Trailblazer of Africa’s Fiscal Future
Taina Nankela is a force behind Africa’s public finance transformation. Appointed as the first Vice Chairperson of the API Governing Council on 5 May 2025, she brings over 26 years of high-impact leadership in public financial management. As Namibia’s Accountant General and head of the Treasury/State Accounts Department, she leads national financial governance with precision, transparency, and reform-minded vision.
Her influence stretches across the continent. As a member of the African Union’s F15 Experts Committee, she helps shape finance policies for Africa’s Ministers of Finance. Her cross-sector board experience — from agriculture to education to veterans’ affairs — reflects her deep commitment to ethical leadership and sound governance.
Taina’s impact on the Africa Professionalisation Initiative (API) is already game-changing: MOU signed. Learner onboarding in progress. Stakeholder engagement activated through events like the Namibia API Conference. She’s not just an advocate for public sector professionalisation — she’s making it happen.
As Vice Chair, her mission is clear: to help scale API into Africa’s go-to platform for building trusted, future-ready public finance professionals.
Join the movement. Learn with purpose. Lead with integrity.
Members
Members of the Governing Council are nominated by the participating regional organisations. Current members are as follows:
Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA):
Alta Prinsloo, CEO, PAFA
Verily Molatedi, CEO, Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA)
Koniba Soma, Secretary-General, ONECCA Burkina Faso
African Association of Accountants General (AAAG):
Fredrick Riaga, CEO, AAAG
Taina Nankela, Accountant General, Namibia
African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions – English-speaking region (AFROSAI-E):
Meisie Nkau, CEO, AFROSAI-E
Modou Ceesay, Auditor General, The Gambia
Junius Kandjeke, Auditor General, Namibia
African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions – French-speaking region (CREFIAF):
Mr Hassan, Director of the CREFIAF Secretariat
Mr Jimmy Munganga Ngwaka, First President of the Court of Accounts of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Mr SAA Joseph Kaduono, First President of the Court of Accounts of Guinea
Governing Council Observers
AFIIA (African Federation of Institutes of Internal Auditors)- Represented by Thokozile Kuwali
AAFA (African Accounting and Finance Association)- Represented by Dr Mariaan Roos