Bibi Deflander

Bibi joined NABC as a Project Assistant in October 2025. She supports the Africa Insights Desk (A-ID) with market research, proposal development, and event coordination to promote sustainable trade and investment between Africa and the Netherlands. 

Bibi has built international experience in policy, communication, and project coordination through her work with organisations across Africa and Europe. She has led partnership development and communications for initiatives promoting sustainable trade and Afro-European cooperation, while coordinating high-impact events and campaigns at the Equal Trade Alliance. Her experience also spans stakeholder engagement and marketing with ASAH, where she contributed to sustainable partner growth and secured ten new partnerships.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management of International Social Challenges from Erasmus University Rotterdam, complemented by an exchange in Political Science at ISCTE University in Lisbon, where she focused on EU-Africa relations, as well as an International Baccalaureate obtained in Kenya.

Bibi brings a cross-cultural outlook and a passion for building bridges between people and markets. As she always heard growing up “you cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness and kindess,” she embraces bold thinking and empathy as essential forces for reimagining how Africa and Europe engage in sustainable trade, striving to strengthen Afro-European synergies and foster equal, human-centered connections.