Karim O. Belayachi is the Senior Private Sector Specialist in the West and Central Africa region within the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) Global Practice and leads the private sector development programs in Nigeria and the CEMAC region. He joined the World Bank in 2007 in the Finance and Private Sector Development unit and has since held various positions. Prior to joining the Bank, Karim was a financial analyst with the Abdul Latif Jameel foundation, providing technical and financial support to the microfinance sector in MENA and supporting evidence-based policy development. He holds a master’s degree in public Affairs from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.