Axel Addy
| Axel Marcel Addy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for Commerce & Industry | |
|
In office April 2013 – January 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Miatta Beslow |
| Succeeded by | Dr. Wilson Tarpeh[1] |
| Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry | |
|
In office August 2012 – April 2013 | |
| President | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Marvie |
| Country Representative (Liberia), Population Services International (PSI) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 28, 1976 Monrovia, Liberia |
| Alma mater |
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) |
Honorable Axel Marcel Addy served as Minister of Commerce and Industry under Her Excellency, Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from April 2013 to January 2018. During his tenure as Minister of Commerce, Mr. Addy redirected the Ministry’s core function to focus on investment diversification beyond extractive industries to include investment in agriculture and tourism; empowering small and medium enterprises to formalize and improve their access to market, finance and capacity development opportunities; industrial promotion in agriculture for food security with emphasis on agricultural processing and value addition; and integration in the world economy through regional and multilateral trading systems. Addy was Chief Negotiator of Liberia's successful accession to the World Trade Organization. Through this process Honorable Addy facilitated the passage and ratification of numerous laws and protocols for the modernization of the Liberian economy.[2]
Early life
Axel Addy was born and raised in Monrovia, Liberia to mother Mai Stevens and Father Judson Wendell Addy. He attended elementary school at Phillips and Barnes, followed by Montserrado International School and Joseph Jenkins Roberts United Methodist School in junior high before leaving Liberia for the United States due to civil conflict in Liberia. He attend Church Farm School where he graduated with honors was recognized for his community serve and received scholarships from Rotary International and the Union League of Philadelphia. He is one of ten siblings, five brothers and four sisters. In his early years, he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Mary "Swede" Johnson in the Mamba Point area of central Monrovia, Liberia.
He is married to Mrs. Fatu Addy or Monrovia and has one daughter Axelle Marcela Addy.
Education
Mr. Addy holds a Masters of Arts in African Studies with emphasis in International Development from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a BA in Political Science with emphasis in Public Law from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).
Career
Prior to joining government, Mr. Addy served as Liberia's first Country Representative for Populations Services International, a leading social marketing global health organization, where he set up the PSI Liberia platform managing a multi-million dollar portfolio. He served in that capacity for four years. During his tenure he is known for the successful launch of Liberia's first your run radio talk show on reproductive health call "Let's Talk About Sex," and the design and launch of the integrated reproductive health program call SmartChoice, which aim to prevent the spread of HIV among sexually active youth utilizing PSI's [] behavioral change communications and social marketing innovations to launch reproductive health clubs in school, initiatives such as Live at the Y to promote HIV testing among high youth and the launch of Liberia first social marketing product, Star Condoms where over 840,000 units were sold in the first year. In his fight to reduce under five mortality due to waterborne illness, in partnership with UNICEF and USAID, he launched WaterGuard, a water treatment solution to support the prevention of diarrhea and other waterborne disease for children under five. Through his leadership, Mr. Addy raised millions of dollars in funding for SmartChoice and the PSI Liberia Child Survival Program working with major partners including UNFPA, UNICEF, USAID, and the Global Fund.
Cabinet Minister
Hon. Addy was first appointed to serve in Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Government in May 2012, as Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He was later appointed Deputy Minister for Commerce and Industry in August 2012.
Upon acceding to the position of Minister, Hon. Addy commenced his rebranding agenda embedded in the Ministry’s three-year strategic plan, by redirecting and developing several initiatives that has led to: the restructuring of the Ministry separating the Department of Commerce and Industry to the Department of Commerce and the Department of Industry and with the passage of the Small Business Empowerment Act, the new Department of Small Business Administration; the installation of automated systems, the initiation of reforms in the inspectorate; the ongoing reforms of the procedures of import and export of commodities; the launch of the annual SME Conference and the launch of the Liberia Innovation Fund for Entrepreneurs to provide alternative financing to SMEs; the international entrepreneurial exchange summit; the creation of the Special Projects Implementation Unit to facilitate donor projects’ implementation; the development of the National Trade Policy, Export Strategies (Oil Palm, Cocoa, Fisheries, Tourism, Rubberwood, and Rubber; the WTO Accession Strategy and post Accession Strategy; the facilitation of several missions to include private sector to Indonesia, India, Japan, China, US, and Europe. Mr. Addy served as Chief Negotiator where he led the fast track historic accession of Liberia to the World Trade Organization in December 2016. Through his role he facilitated the passage of critical legislature including the Intellectual Property Law, the Competition Law, the Foreign Trade Law, the Special Economic Zone Law, the Monrovia Industrial Park Regulations, Inspection Regulations, Intellectual Property Regulation, Import Permit Regulations and the ratification of several protocols including the WTO protocol on accession.
For his service to country, Hon Addy was recognized by Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf with one of the highest national honors by inducting him as Grand Commander, ORDER OF THE STAR OF AFRICA into the Order of the Pioneers of Liberia or more formally Grand Order of the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of the Pioneers of the Republic of Liberia [Order of the Pioneers of Liberia]
References
- "Tourism Push – Liberia Launches National Export Strategy". Frontpage Africa Online. Frontpage Africa Online. July 28, 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Osakwe, Kireyev, Cheidu, Alexei (December 2017). Trade Multilateralism in the Twenty-First Century Building the Upper Floors of the Trading System Through WTO Accessions. UK: Cambridge. p. 207. ISBN 9781108421287. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "4 ways Africa can achieve a manufacturing renaissance". weforum.org. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
- Senkpeni, Alpha. "Liberia's Commerce Minister Axel Addy Outlines Achievements". Frontpage Africa Online. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Reiter, Addy, Joakim, Axel (April 16, 2016). "The solution to the migrant crisis is jobs in low income countries". The Guardian Weekly. The Guardia. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "DG Azevêdo welcomes Liberia as 163rd WTO member". WTO.org. World Trade Organization. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Karmo, Henry (June 14, 2016). "Liberian Legislature Concludes Ratification of WTO Protocol". Frontpage Africa Online. Frontpage Africa Online. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Mile, Tom (October 7, 2015). "Rebounding from Ebola, Liberia gets clearance to join WTO". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Liberia's 'Pulling Together' After Ebola - Commerce Minister". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica.com. March 17, 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- Addy, Axel. "PSI Impact Magazine: Shaping the Global Agenda, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf" (PDF). Lauraliswood.com. Lauraliswood.com. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "LIBERIA (2011): MAP STUDY EVALUATING THE AVAILABILITY OF CONDOMS, HOUSEHOLD WATER TREATMENT PRODUCTS, ANTIMALARIALS, AND CONTRACEPTIVES 1st ROUND". Harvard.edu. Harvard University. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Families in Liberia now empowered to make their water safe to drink". UNICEF. UNICEF. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Axel Addy at a Glance". AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "SmartChoice Program by PSI Liberia". Center for Health Market Innovations. Center for Health Market Innovations. Retrieved 25 July 2018.