Walaa Ahmed is a policy and strategic leadership expert with over 15 years’ experience spanning government, politics, academia, civil society, and the private sector. As Sudan’s youngest and first female Minister of Youth and Sports, she led national reforms and institutional transformation during a period of transition, demonstrating innovation and resilience in complex political settings. She is the former Chairperson of the East and Central African Regional Advisory Board for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for young African Leaders. 

Walaa served in the public sector, she was the first female mechanical engineer in Sudan’s Sugar Company’s workshop since its establishment, she also worked at Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization. In addition to that she worked in the private sector as Process Integration Specialist at DAL Group, Sudan’s Largest Conglomerate, the civil society, and as a Lecturer at Sudan University for Science and Technology. Walaa founded and led several initiatives in Sudan and across the African continent, she was part of the peaceful revolution that overthrew the 30 years of dictatorship in Sudan. Walaa was selected among the 100 most influential young Africans in 2020 by Africa Youth Award and among the 100 most influential African women by AvanceMedia. 

Holding Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Imperial College London) and Public Policy (University of Oxford), her work bridges technical and policy domains , from energy transition to digital governance. Her Oxford policy report, ‘Scaling Solar in Africa: Technical Realities and Policy Lessons from Nigeria’, provides practical insights for designing resilient solar solutions to meet Africa’s rising energy demand. 

Participant in:

February 2026 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes