Maria Oliveira Pedro

Maria Oliveira Pedro joined the NABC team in October 2023 as a Project Assistant. She assists NABC’s consultancy branch, the Africa Insights Desk, by facilitating support in executing market research and organising events, and trade missions to and from Africa. Additionally, Maria provides assistance to the Dutch Africa Poultry Platform (DAPP), a membership-based platform within the NABC business network.

Maria has been involved with International Development since 2019. She has volunteered in two disaster-relief projects in both Nepal and Mexico with the All Hands and Hearts NGO. She also holds field experience in South Africa, where she had the opportunity to conduct individual research and visit various development projects in the Western Cape. Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science: International Relations and Organisations from Leiden University, and has followed an interdisciplinary Minor in African Dynamics offered at Leiden University, Delft Technical University and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Overall, Maria believes that cooperation and interchange are essential elements to achieve the sustainability and durability of socio-economic systems, and thus foster a prosperous future for all. She emphasises the need for integrated and innovative approaches in the private sector to smoothen efficiency, and customer experience, as well as negative externalities and internal operational processes. According to Maria, richness lies in diversity and experiences.