OUR TEAM DR. NEILA AKRIMI
Themes
#Institutional Capacity Building & Public Administration
#Multi-Stakeholder Engagement
#MENA Governance
Contexts of Work
Euro-Mediterranean Region Francophone & Arab Countries
Dr. Neila Akrimi
Non-Executive Director
Dr. Neila Akrimi holds a PhD in European Development Law, specialising in the Euro-Mediterranean model of development, and brings over 25 years of experience across public administration reform, international cooperation, institutional capacity building and multi-stakeholder project management.
A former lawyer, university research centre head, and diplomat, Dr. Akrimi has lectured at universities and think tanks globally. She was recognised by Leaders Magazine in 2022 as one of the most influential female leaders in the Arab Maghreb.
Dr. Akrimi serves as a resource expert for the EU, UN agencies, the World Bank, and numerous European, African, and Arab governments. She previously led programming for Francophone Africa at VNG International, where she founded its MENA-focused Centre for Innovative Local Governance (CILG) in Tunis. Through CILG, she has supported public reforms across Arab countries and helped establish municipal associations and local administration centres.
In 2022, Dr. Akrimi was appointed Chair of CIB-UCLG’s World Platform for Capacity Institutional Building, where she advances international cooperation effectiveness for local and regional governments globally. She is also a frequent speaker at global forums and serves on several advisory boards dedicated to strengthening Euro-Mediterranean partnerships.