By Sam Akanimo
African Development Bank (AfDB) has appointed a Nigerian seasoned macro-economist, Dr. Eric Kehinde Ogunleye, as Director of the African Development Institute. It is effective from June 1, 2024.
African Development Institute, a unit of AfDB Group is a world-class learning organisation, a leading institutional capacity development by co-creating knowledge and institutional capacity, together with regional member countries, to guide inclusive and sustainable development across Africa.
Ogunleye has nearly two decades of experience in macro and development economics, capacity development, public governance and regulatory reform, monitoring and evaluation, and policy advisory.
He previously served as the Officer in Charge of the African Development Institute and Manager of the Institute’s Policy Management Division.
He was also previously an Advisor to the Chief Economist and Vice President of the Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Complex.
He played a crucial role in developing and implementing the Bank Group’s Capacity Development Strategy (2021-2025) and related initiatives, such as the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa and the Macroeconomic Management Academy for Africa.
Before joining the Bank, he was Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on International Trade and Finance and later as Special Advisor to the Chief Economic Advisor to the President. He played a pivotal role in policy research, institutional capacity development, and monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic policies.
He contributed to Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which lifted the country out of recession. Additionally, he served as a long-term consultant (Country Macroeconomist) in the Nigeria Country Department of the Bank Group, coordinating macroeconomic analysis in Nigeria and supporting the Bank’s diverse development projects portfolio.
Ogunleye’s previous roles also include Research Fellow at the African Center for Economic Transformation, Doctoral Researcher at the United Nations University’s World Institute for Development Economics Research, Doctoral Research Intern at the World Trade Organisation, and International Research Consultant at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He has also taught and conducted research as a Lecturer at the University of Calabar, Nigeria.
He holds a PhD and MSc in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, a Cambridge Certificate in Advanced Program on Rethinking Development Economics in Africa, and an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from Harvard University.
Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Ogunleye said, “I am truly humbled, honoured, and pleased by the confidence reposed in me by President Akinwumi A. Adesina for this appointment. I am deeply fascinated and appreciate his consistent penchant for excellence and recognition of talent. I use this opportunity to renew my commitment to the Bank, its leadership, and regional member countries in deepening my support for strengthening institutional capacities in all forms in regional member countries.”
President of the AfDB Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, commented: “I am pleased to appoint Dr. Eric Kehinde Ogunleye as Director of the African Development Institute. Eric is a focused and strategic leader with first-class expertise in key areas of institutional capacity development support to regional member countries.
“I am confident that he will continue to leverage his vast experience and global partnership across all spheres of capacity development for delivery at scale for our regional member countries.”
