HELLEN SAKALA NYIRENDA
Lusaka
Summary
Macroeconomic Policy Expert and Institutional Reform Specialist with 10+ years of experience advancing market-oriented reforms, strengthening public institutions, and driving private-sector-led growth across Zambia and East Africa. Demonstrated success leading high-level policy dialogue with Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, and Commerce to shape national transformation agendas. Expert in designing and implementing reforms that enhance export competitiveness, promote agro-processing value addition, and build institutional capability within government agencies. Skilled in political economy analysis, coalition building, and gender-responsive policy design. Holds an MSc in Finance (Economic Policy) from SOAS University of London.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Technical Expert – Country Economic Transformation Outlook (CETO), Zambia
AFRICAN CENTER FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (ACET)
Accra
02.2026 - 06.2026
- Led policy advocacy to integrate CETO findings into national development frameworks, sustaining high-level dialogue with senior officials in Agriculture, Commerce, and Finance.
- Supported institutional reform through co-creation of national M&E frameworks, facilitating workshops and capacity-building sessions for public institutions.
- Established a national Community of Practice on economic transformation, fostering peer learning among academia, private sector, and government, with a strong focus on gender equality.
- Provided remote technical support for development of Ghana’s macro-fiscal GDP Plus Index model.
Transformation Fellow – CETO Zambia & Ethiopia
AFRICAN CENTER FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (ACET)
Accra
02.2024 - 12.2025
- Led sector analyses on agro-processing, tourism, and digital economy, identifying growth constraints and export opportunities.
- Conducted comprehensive macroeconomic and structural diagnostics for Zambia and Ethiopia, shaping national transformation strategies.
- Developed policy briefs and facilitated consultations with Ministries, Cabinet Offices, Parliamentarians, and DFIs (World Bank, GIZ), enhancing policy alignment and stakeholder engagement.
- Promoted ACET’s DEPTH framework, linking macroeconomic policy to human wellbeing and supporting development of Results Frameworks and Theories of Change.
- Integrated gender mainstreaming across all diagnostics, assessing barriers to women’s access to technology, finance, and export markets.
- Strengthened cross-country learning through collaboration with African think tanks (KIPPRA, ISSER, ZIPAR, PSI).
Senior Economist – Macroeconomic Policy (Fiscal & External)
MINISTRY OF FINANCE & NATIONAL PLANNING, ZAMBIA
Lusaka
01.2017 - 01.2024
- Designed macroeconomic policy frameworks for three National Budgets (2021–2023) and the MTEF, shaping fiscal and structural policies affecting agriculture.
- Co-developed the Ministry’s first macro-fiscal Excel-based model for forecasting, scenario analysis, and fiscal risk assessment.
- Co-authored Annual and Mid-Year Economic Reports and quarterly economic updates.
- Served as liaison for IMF Article IV missions and the ECF programme, ensuring alignment with sustainable growth objectives.
- Contributed to the Revenue Mobilization Plan, assessing tax policy impacts on agricultural input costs, export competitiveness, and agro-processing investment.
- Supervised and mentored a team of five economists.
- Integrated climate-responsive fiscal strategies into national budget frameworks.
- Championed gender-responsive budgeting in macroeconomic policy design.
- Analyzed fiscal risks associated with the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and recommended efficiency-enhancing reforms.
Economic Analyst Intern
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
Lusaka
04.2023 - 10.2023
- Authored a research paper on financial market development in Zambia, highlighting constraints for agricultural SMEs.
- Maintained macroeconomic databases tracking bond yields, private sector credit, stock indices, and commodity prices.
- Participated in CPG and PFM meetings and conducted outreach with UNECA, UNZA, and EAZ.
Policy Planner & Analyst
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, TRADE & INDUSTRY, ZAMBIA
Lusaka
01.2015 - 10.2017
- Analyzed trade flows within COMESA and SADC and monitored FDI trends with ZDA.
- Supported trade facilitation reforms, including One Stop Border Posts, to reduce cross-border delays.
- Drafted key legislation, including the National Industrial Policy, promoting value addition in agriculture.
- Served as Secretariat for the Policy, Cabinet, and Parliamentary Liaison Committee.
- Conducted analysis on export competitiveness barriers, informing reforms to reduce border delays.
- Advocated for streamlined business regulations to support women-led agro-processing enterprises.
Grant Data Management Intern
GIZ & MINISTRY OF FINANCE, ZAMBIA
Lusaka
12.2014 - 10.2015
- Managed ODA data in the DMFAS system and conducted IRR analysis of grant-aided projects, including agricultural initiatives.
Intern, Consumer Welfare & Competition
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, TRADE & INDUSTRY
Lusaka
01.2014 - 07.2014
- Supported development of consumer protection and fair-trading policies to enhance agricultural markets and promote food security.
Education
MSc - Finance (Economic Policy)
SOAS University of London
London, United Kingdom01-2022
BA - Economics & Statistics
University of Zambia
Lusaka, Zambia01-2013
Skills
- Agricultural Policy & Institutional Reform
- Private Sector Development & Competitiveness
- Trade & Industrial Policy
- Stakeholder Engagement & Coalition Building
- Gender Mainstreaming in Economic Policy
- Macro-Fiscal Modeling & Policy Simulation
- Results-Based Management & M&E
- Capacity Building & Knowledge Transfer
- Market-oriented agricultural policy reform
- Value chain analysis & export competitiveness
- Gender-responsive policy design
- Institutional strengthening & M&E frameworks
- Trade facilitation & customs reform
- Coalition building & stakeholder coordination
- Macro-Fiscal Modeling & Forecasting
- Econometric modelling (VAR, Time-Series)
- Trade & Industrial Policy Analysis
- Political Economy Analysis
- R
- Stata
- EViews
- SPSS
Certification
IMF Institute, Financial Programming & Policies, Macroeconomic Diagnostics, Macroeconomics of Climate Change, Fiscal Policy Analysis, Fiscal Risks Management Tools & Frameworks
Professional Membership
Economics Association of Zambia (EAZ), Member
Timeline
Technical Expert – Country Economic Transformation Outlook (CETO), Zambia
AFRICAN CENTER FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (ACET)
02.2026 - 06.2026
Transformation Fellow – CETO Zambia & Ethiopia
AFRICAN CENTER FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (ACET)
02.2024 - 12.2025
Economic Analyst Intern
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)
04.2023 - 10.2023
Senior Economist – Macroeconomic Policy (Fiscal & External)
MINISTRY OF FINANCE & NATIONAL PLANNING, ZAMBIA
01.2017 - 01.2024
Policy Planner & Analyst
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, TRADE & INDUSTRY, ZAMBIA
01.2015 - 10.2017
Grant Data Management Intern
GIZ & MINISTRY OF FINANCE, ZAMBIA
12.2014 - 10.2015
Intern, Consumer Welfare & Competition
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, TRADE & INDUSTRY
01.2014 - 07.2014
MSc - Finance (Economic Policy)
SOAS University of London
BA - Economics & Statistics
University of Zambia