Logistics Leader of the Year / 2026 / Burundi
In the complex world of African logistics, where geography, infrastructure, and trade policy intersect, leadership requires both operational precision and strategic foresight. For Roger Nkubito, a seasoned logistics executive in the Great Lakes region, this intersection defines his career. As Managing Director overseeing operations in Rwanda and Burundi for Africa Global Logistics, Nkubito has spent years shaping supply chain solutions that connect landlocked economies to regional and global markets.
Nkubito’s professional journey has unfolded largely within the logistics and freight forwarding sector, an industry that sits at the heart of trade facilitation across Africa. Working in a region where efficient transport corridors are essential for economic development, he has developed expertise in freight forwarding, customs management, multimodal transport coordination, and supply chain design. His leadership responsibilities span two strategically important markets—Rwanda and Burundi—both of which depend heavily on regional transport corridors to access international trade routes.
Before the rebranding of Bolloré’s logistics operations into Africa Global Logistics, Nkubito held senior leadership roles within Bolloré Africa Logistics. During this period he served as General Manager for the Rwanda and Burundi cluster, where he was responsible for expanding the company’s operational footprint and strengthening logistics infrastructure in the region. His work involved coordinating cargo movements across multiple borders and transport modes, reflecting the operational complexity of serving landlocked economies.
Operating in the Great Lakes region requires a deep understanding of the logistics corridors that connect inland markets to coastal ports. Nkubito’s work has therefore been closely tied to the major East African gateways at the Port of Dar es Salaam in Dar es Salaam and the Port of Mombasa in Mombasa. These ports serve as the principal maritime access points for cargo moving to and from Rwanda and Burundi. Ensuring the efficient movement of goods along these corridors—through road, inland logistics hubs, and cross-border transit systems—has been central to his leadership focus.
Nkubito’s leadership philosophy reflects a broader understanding of logistics as a driver of economic integration. In regional forums and industry conversations, he has emphasized the importance of developing multimodal transport systems that combine maritime access, inland logistics hubs, and efficient cross-border processes. For countries such as Rwanda and Burundi, where access to the sea is indirect, such systems are essential to competitiveness in global trade.
Beyond operations, his role also involves cultivating partnerships with governments, development organizations, and commercial clients operating in sectors ranging from consumer goods and telecommunications to infrastructure and humanitarian aid. Through these collaborations, logistics companies contribute not only to trade facilitation but also to the broader economic development of the region.
Today, as part of the leadership of Africa Global Logistics, Roger Nkubito continues to guide the company’s activities in the Great Lakes region with a focus on reliability, connectivity, and operational efficiency. In an industry that often operates behind the scenes, his work underscores a simple reality: the strength of modern economies depends heavily on the invisible networks that move goods across borders, connect markets, and sustain global commerce.
