Head MCO, Country Director

Naoufel Telahigue

Naoufel Telahigue is the Country Programme Manager for Morocco, Djibouti and Eritrea. He also manages the Morocco ICO (based in Rabat). His role is the overall management and oversight of IFAD’s programme of work in the three countries, including strategic to operational to managerial responsibilities. Telahigue manages the portfolio in terms of COSOP preparation and review, design, implementation and supervision while ensuring that all IFAD requirements are duly implemented. He represents IFAD in the different UNCTs in the three countries and engages in policy dialogue and coordination with government and donors.

Telahigue is an Engineer and has an MSc in International Rural Development/Natural Resource Management with focus on arid and semi-arid ecosystems. He has more than 15 years’ experience in North Africa, middle east and sub-Saharan Africa.

He has technical qualifications in the fields of rangeland rehabilitation, soil and water management, desertification control and climate change issues and has expertise in GIS/Remote Sensing technologies. He has strong project management and rural development experience and worked in more than 50 countries across west, north Africa, the horn of Africa and the middle east region.

Telahigue has an engineering degree from the Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT). A certificate in remote sensing from the University of Michigan and is a member of the French society of remote sensing and photogrammetry (SFPT).