ARC Group Governing Board
Chairperson
Dr. Mothae Anthony Maruping
Dr Maruping, a Lesotho national, is the current Chairperson of the ARC Group Board since October 2021. He is an Economist and a strong Pan-Africanist who is passionate about driving the African agenda.
From 2013 – 2017, he served as the African Union’s Commissioner for Economic Affairs where he was responsible for promoting economic integration and private sector development and engagement, and this gave him an opportunity to contribute to the continent’s journey to sustainable development. Prior to that, Dr Maruping was the Ambassador Plenipotentiary/Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Other International Organisations in Switzerland and Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, a position he held from 2006 – 2012. While at UNOG, he chaired G-77 plus China, UNCTAD Board, Council for Trade in Goods (WTO), Committee for Trade and Development (WTO), Coordinator of Least Development Countries in WTO and Coordinator of the African Group (WTO). Earlier in his career, Dr Maruping served as Governor of Central Bank of Lesotho (1988 – 1998). He was also the Founding Executive Director of the Macro-Economic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI).
The 10 years that Dr Maruping spent in academia from 1977 – 1988, and the experience acquired in different positions over the years built his awareness of social and political issues, and ignited his passion to serve. He has and continues to use his expertise in Economics, Finance, Statistics and Management to influence and drive for sustainable development in Africa. As Chairperson of the ARC Group Board, he is well-positioned to support the continent’s climate action journey towards protecting the most vulnerable populations.
Board Members
Dr Laila Lokosang
Dr. Laila B. Lokosang is a national of South Sudan. Until recently he served as Senior Advisor for Food and Nutrition Security in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP); a flagship of the African Union.
Before moving to the AU Commission in 2012, Laila served as Director for Monitoring and Evaluation in the National Bureau of Statistics, South Sudan.
Prior to this, he served in Sudan and Malawi as Management Information Systems Specialist, specializing in health information and surveillance, livelihoods analysis and disaster preparedness and mitigation. His professional career spans 34 years. An alumni of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), University of Reading (UK) and the University of Juba (South Sudan), Laila holds a PhD in Statistics, Master of Science in Biometry and Food Security and Bachelor of Science in Statistics. He has published a number of peer reviewed articles in food security and livelihoods resilience and nutrition. His main research interests include food security and nutrition measurement and applications of statistical methods in food security, nutrition and public health.
Dr Beth Dunford 
Dr. Dunford, a national of the United States of America, has held senior level leadership positions in the US government where she managed large and complex programs, working with the private sector, civil society, and multilateral and bilateral institutions, as well as with African governments, to deliver agricultural, social and human development impact at scale.
Dr Dunford also worked as the Assistant to the Administrator in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, as well as the Deputy Coordinator for Development for Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative. In this dual role, she coordinated Feed the Future across multiple U.S. government agencies, oversaw $1 billion annual budget and leveraged millions of direct private sector investment annually. In this capacity, she also coordinated $2.3 billion Feed the Future presidential initiative across 11 U.S. government agencies and forged partnerships within the private sector and civil society targeted at reducing hunger and poverty. She also led USAID’s technical and regional expertise focused on improving agriculture-led growth, resilience, nutrition and water security, sanitation and hygiene.
She is currently the Vice President, Agriculture, Human and Social Development for the African Development Bank.
Mr. Phil Stevens
Phil Stevens is the Director for International Finance within the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The Directorate leads on the UK’s efforts to reform the International Financial System, through our shareholding in the World Bank and Regional Development Banks, along with initiatives to support developing countries to mobilise more private investment, strengthen their tax systems, and better prepare for crises through disaster risk finance and insurance. Phil has previously worked at the World Bank Board in Washington DC, as part of the DFID team in DRC, within the Malawi Government and for other UK Government Departments.
Honourable Kabaghe Chance
Honourable (Hon) Kabaghe is an Agricultural Economist with more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural policy and agribusiness management and analysis arena. He has served on the ARC Group Board since June 2021. He is one of Zambia’s leading agribusiness practitioners and professionals, and he uses his expertise to influence policy, improve food security and shape the African narrative.
Hon Kabaghe’s career has spanned different environments in the agricultural development space where he has held strategic positions, including in the agri-business, government, public policy and academia spaces. He is actively involvement in several of Zambia’s and Regional major agri-businesses, serving as Director and Chairman on multiple agribusiness corporate boards, including for SeedCo International, a leading seed company in Zambia and the sub-Saharan African Region. He has also worked as Member of Parliament and at the same time Zambia’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. He was the first Executive Director of the Zambia’s Food Reserve Agency (FRA), where he was instrumental in establishing Zambia’s market-friendly system of managing strategic food reserves.
Drawing from his early career in academia as a university lecturer at the University of Zambia in the School of Agricultural Sciences, Hon Kabaghe has emerged as a key leader in national, continental and international agricultural policy debates. He has had extensive experience in the development of many agricultural policies in Zambia, Africa and Internationally. He has co-published several research papers that have contributed to knowledge, policy and decision-making in Zambia.
Honourable Dr Felix Mlusu
Dr. Felix Mlusu, a Malawian national, is a retired insurance executive and former Minister of Finance. He is a Chartered Insurer and holds an honorary PhD for Business Leadership from Malawi’s Mzuzu University.
From his 41 years of insurance experience, 22 years as CEO, he championed a number of initiatives which among others, included turning The National Insurance Company Limited (a small composite insurance company) into NICO Holdings Limited, Malawi’s leading financial services group. During his tenure , the Group embarked on a pragmatic growth strategy which started with setting up local subsidiary companies in both life and non-life insurance, setting up a corporate finance company, buying a government building society, The New Building Society (NBS) and, turning it into one of the leading commercial banks in Malawi, buying Ryall’s Hotel and developing it to become Malawi’s leading hotel brand.
He championed and listed NICO Holdings Limited as the first company to list on Malawi Stock Exchange marking the launch of the Exchange.
On the regional scene, he championed and took NICO Holdings Limited to other countries for investment. He set up a general insurance company in Zambia and, a life assurance company in Mozambique. He championed the acquisitions of insurance companies in Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. He championed the building of Malawi’s first shopping mall in Blantyre, bringing new shopping experience in the country.
In addition to serving on NICO Group’s companies’ boards, he also served on numerous multinational companies’ boards and organizations both locally and internationally. He served as a Council member of the African Insurance Organization (AIO) for three years. Served as Council member of the then PTA (now COMESA) for the transport directorate for three years and was chairman for one year during which time he oversaw the drafting of the PTA Yellow Card Motor Insurance Scheme for the member countries.
As Minister of Finance between 2020 and 2022, he championed a number of initiatives which included revision of the Public Finance Management Act, implementation of the Government’s Integrated Finance Management Information System (IFMIS) an accounting system, launch the Government Domestic Mobilization Strategy, championed the buying of gold and other precious minerals by the Reserve Bank of Malawi from artisanal miners. He championed the setting up of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Championed the setting up of a Debt Retirement Fund as a prelude to the country’s Sovereign Wealth Fund.
The exposure and experience gained during his working life have been both rewarding and enriching which have enabled him to gain a reasonable amount of knowledge and understanding of the financial services sector
In recognition of his contribution to the economic and social lives of these countries, he has received many honorary awards.
H.E. Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez
H.E. Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez was born on May 4, 1967, in Burgos, Spain, and holds Spanish nationality. His professional experience includes serving as the Ambassador / Head of Delegation at the EU Delegation to the African Union since January 2024. He has also held various positions within the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission, including Director/Deputy Managing Director Americas, Head of Division US and Canada, and Head of Division Turkey. He has served as an Ambassador / Head of Delegation in Haiti and Cuba and has held various positions within the Political and Economic Sections of European Commission Delegations in Trinidad & Tobago and Burkina Faso. His education includes a Master of Arts in Advanced Political Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, an LL.M. in European Law from the Free University of Brussels, and a degree in Law from the University of Valladolid. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.”