Dr Albina Faria de Assis Pereira Africano

Special Advisor to the President for Regional Affairs

Date of Birth: 03/06/1945
Place of Birth: Luanda

Married to Dr Jose Pereira, with 4 children.

Career: School teacher, 1968-75; Director, National Laboratory for Chemical Analysis, 1975-83; Chemical Engineer at Fina-Angola, Luanda, 1983-85; Deputy Director of Fina Refinery, Luanda. 1985-91; President, Sonangol Board, 1991-1992; Minister of Petroleum, Dec 1992-1999; Minister of Industry, 1999-2000; Special Advisor to the President for Regional Affairs, 2005 to date.

Education: Industrial Institute, Luanda, 1967; BA, Chemical Engineering, Agostinho Neto University, Luanda, 1979-82; Oil Refining Technology, Antwerp, Belgium, 1984; Institute of Petroleum Science, France, 1987; training, Lindsey oil refinery, UK, 1988; College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Oxford, UK, 1989.

Albina Africano, one of the highest-ranking women ministers in Africa and esteemed for her technical knowledge, has overseen the tremendous expansion of the oil sector. Chevron, Elf Aquitaine, British Petroleum and Exxon have all been attracted by Angola's exploration potential. An MPLA technocrat, Africano is not blamed directly for the sector's lack of accountability; accounts are increasingly the preserve of the Presidency and its appointees in the Treasury.