Dr. Lassina Zerbo Appointed Prime Minister of Burkina Faso
In December 2021, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, a member of the Kenjin Tatsujin Council and former Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), was appointed as the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to him and wish him tremendous success.
In 2010, Ambassador Toshiro Ozawa, who was the Ambassador of Japan to South Africa at the time, was the one who introduced Ashinaga to Dr. Zerbo. Ashinaga’s President Tamai told Dr. Zerbo about the Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) and explained that it was necessary to create an advisory board of international leaders who would assist in making this grande plan a reality and could give guidance and help to develop the initiative around the world. Without hesitation, Ambassador Ozawa recommended Dr. Zerbo as a member of the council, and he has been a respected member for over ten years.
Dr. Zerbo holds a Ph.D. in geophysics and was an executive at a major mining company before joining the CTBTO. He is renowned in Burkina Faso, having served as Executive Secretary of the CTBTO for eight years since 2013. He readily agreed to be a member of the Kenjin Tatsujin Council, which is an indispensable element of supporting AAI Scholars.
In fact, despite his busy schedule, he has always been generous in his support of Ashinaga and even accepted an AAI Scholar who was interested in international relations and peace as an intern at the CTBTO. In August 2020, he spoke at Ashinaga’s webinar Building Africa’s Next Generation of Successful Leaders for AAI Scholars, and in his lecture, he spoke about empowering young entrepreneurs in Africa. The Scholars were highly motivated and inspired by his words of encouragement. At the end of his term of office as Executive Secretary, he shared with us a very encouraging message: “I will not hesitate to cooperate with Ashinaga in the future and will continue to support the mission of Ashinaga.”
As the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Dr. Zerbo continues to contribute to his country, bearing in mind that he must continue to be a good role model for youth in sub-Saharan Africa. We want to express our utmost respect for his noble aspirations and look forward to his future success.
