The African Development Bank (AfDB) has appointed Dr. Eric Kehinde Ogunleye, a seasoned macroeconomist, as Director of the African Development Institute, effective June 1, 2024.
According to an APO Group statement, Ogunleye, a Nigerian national, brings nearly 20 years of experience in macro and development economics, capacity development, public governance, regulatory reform, monitoring and evaluation, and policy advisory.
Ogunleye’s previous roles within the Bank include Officer in Charge of the African Development Institute and Manager of the Institute’s Policy Management Division. He also served as an Advisor to the Chief Economist and Vice President of the Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Complex. His efforts were instrumental in developing and implementing the Bank Group’s Capacity Development Strategy (2021-2025) and initiatives such as the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa and the Macroeconomic Management Academy for Africa.
Under Ogunleye’s leadership, the Institutional Capacity Building and Fiduciary Clinics have been significantly enhanced and now cover 20 country portfolios annually, bolstering the quality of the Bank’s operations and portfolios in Regional Member Countries. In December 2022, Ogunleye launched the Public Finance Management Academy for Africa, a landmark initiative featuring an 18-month structured training program that has trained over 145 public officials from 45 African countries.
Ogunleye continues to lead multiple technical assistance projects, including macroeconomic modelling and policy dialogues aimed at addressing development challenges across Africa. His work has forged numerous partnerships at global, continental, regional, national, and sub-national levels.
Before his tenure at the Bank, Ogunleye served as 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 was pivotal in policy research, institutional capacity development, and the monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic policies. His contributions to Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan were crucial in lifting the country out of recession.
Ogunleye’s extensive background also includes roles as 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 Organization, and International Research Consultant at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He also served 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 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, Dr. 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.”
Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, remarked, “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.”
This appointment highlights AfDB’s commitment to bolstering capacity development across the continent, ensuring sustainable and impactful growth.