Maria Pagura

Maria Pagura is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank, based in Ouagadougou. Ms. Pagura is responsible for the development and management of financial sector lending and advisory projects in Burkina Faso. She also contributes to policy dialogue and engagement with the regional central bank of the West African Monetary Union, BCEAO, and supports financial sector projects in other countries in the region, including Mauritania and Cote d'Ivoire.

Ms. Pagura has been working for the World Bank since 2010 on financial inclusion, digital finance, access to SME finance and agrifinance. Prior to 2010, Maria worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where she advised governments and the private sector on rural finance development.

She holds a master's degree in economics and a PhD in agricultural economics from the Ohio State University.