Niankoro Yéah Samaké

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Yéah Samaké is a 2024 Presidential Candidate in Mali. Between 2015 and 2018, he served as Mali’s Ambassador to ten countries, including India, the Republic of Singapore, and the Kingdom of Thailand. His efforts were focused on fostering educational, economic, social, and technological ties between these nations and Mali. Previously, from 2009 to 2015, Ambassador Samaké served as Mayor of the commune of Ouélessébougou, overseeing 44 villages. His tenure was marked by an emphasis on eradicating corruption and enhancing government transparency. During this period, the tax collection rate surged, the first high school was established, and a new hospital was constructed. In 2011, he concurrently served as Vice President of the League of Mayors, representing 703 municipalities. Moreover, Ambassador Samaké served as the Executive Director of the Daily Dose (now Mali Rising Foundation) from 2004 to 2013. Additionally, since 2013, he has been the Co-Founder and Field Specialist of Empower Mali. Both organisations focus on establishing schools in Mali’s rural communities and sponsoring the education of high school and college students in the United States. Ambassador Samaké holds a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from École Normale Supérieure, Mali, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Brigham Young University, USA.