AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE : Eric Kehinde Ogunleye appointed as new Director General

Eric Kehinde Ogunleye, an accomplished economist from Nigeria, has been appointed as the Director of the African Development Institute of the African Development Bank (AfDB). This appointment, which will take effect on June 1, 2024, comes after nearly two decades of Ogunleye’s experience in macroeconomics, economic development, capacity building, and public governance.

Prior to joining the AfDB, Ogunleye held senior-level positions within the Nigerian government, including serving as a Special Assistant to the President on International Trade and Finance, and as a Special Advisor to the President’s Chief Economic Advisor. He notably contributed to the development of Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which helped the country emerge from a recession. He also worked as a macroeconomic consultant for the Bank Group in Nigeria.

At the AfDB, Ogunleye has previously held the positions of Manager of the African Development Institute and Head of the Institute’s Policy Management Division. He played a crucial role in designing and implementing the Bank Group’s Capacity Development Strategy for the period 2021-2025, as well as in the successful launch of the Africa Public Finance Management Academy in 2022. This initiative has trained over 145 officials from 45 African countries as public finance management experts.

Ogunleye has also acquired substantial expertise in macroeconomic modeling, policy dialogue, and international partnerships. He has forged numerous partnerships at the global, continental, regional, national, and subnational levels to support the Bank’s various capacity-building initiatives.

Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Ogunleye stated, « I am deeply touched, honored, and delighted by the confidence placed in me by President Akinwumi A. Adesina in appointing me to this position. I am profoundly inspired by his constant pursuit of excellence and talent recognition, and I greatly appreciate him. I take this opportunity to renew my commitment to the Bank, its leadership, and the regional member countries by reiterating my support for institutional capacity building in all its forms in the regional member countries. »

On his part, the President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi A. Adesina, commented, « I am pleased to appoint Eric Kehinde Ogunleye as the Director of the African Development Institute. Eric is a focused and strategic leader who possesses world-class expertise in the key areas of supporting the institutional capacity building of our regional member countries. I am confident that he will continue to leverage his vast experience and global partnerships across all areas of capacity building for large-scale implementation in our regional member countries. »

With his in-depth experience in economic policy, governance, and capacity building, Eric Kehinde Ogunleye appears well-equipped to address the development challenges faced by the African countries that are members of the AfDB. His commitment to supporting the Bank’s institutional strengthening efforts is expected to contribute to the realization of the continent’s development goals.

Sorelle Ninguem