Biography
Abdirazak Fartaag
Fartaag received his bachelor’s degree in Switzerland after which he chose the path of civil service and worked as a diplomat for the government of Somalia. Embracing the core values of integrity, servitude and growth, he then took a leave of absence to complete the master’s degree in the United States. He has since worked in a variety of capacities, including carrying out analyses and consulting for African governments on government programs, as well as for the private sector and Non-Governmental Organizations.
Fartaag has volunteered his time to improving the lives of the youth in the Eastern Africa region. Between 2001-2004, he volunteered his time to train various groups in the Great Lake Regions, including third-year students at the Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management (KIST). He has built a reputation for not only being innovative but developing best practice strategies for development. This is best exhibited in the entrepreneurship development course he developed with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship and highlighting the role of business entrepreneurs in economic development. Public Service has always been at the forefront of Fartaag’s life. Between 2009-2011, he served as the Head of the Public Finance Management Unit (PFMU-Somalia) under the direct authority of two different Prime Ministers of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Somalia. During his tenure, Fartaag made unparalleled efforts to ensure transparency and accountability were upheld in a previously chaotic and corrupt financial management system. Fartaag worked hard to promote transparency in spite of resistance from the highest levels of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs). His efforts inspired positive change in public finance by colleagues and the international partners.
