Petronilla Wandeto

Petronilla is a doctoral researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Her research looks into the political economy of agro-industrial policymaking in Sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the role that neopatrimonial politics plays in the prioritization, design, implementation, and outcomes of productivity-enhancing initiatives in the agro-industrial sector. It also looks into the influence this has on the emergence and survival of Pockets of Effectiveness (PoEs), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and agri-tech innovation clusters.

Prior to this, she worked in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. Most recently, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and the Central Bank of Kenya. She holds a master’s in Public Management (Public Policy and Administration) from the University of Potsdam, Germany, and a bachelor's in Actuarial Science from the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kenya.

In addition to food and agriculture innovation, her research interests also include trade policy, social impact investing, sustainable finance, land governance, and vocational education.