AUTHORS
Jean-Paul Adam
Jean-Paul Adam is the Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (since January 2020). He previously served in several Cabinet positions in the Government of Seychelles including Minister of Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy (2015-2016) where he negotiated a debt for climate change adaptation swap in 2015 which placed 30% of Seychelles oceanic space under protection, and launched the process for Seychelles to become the first issuer of a Blue Bond. He also served as Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs (2010-1015) and Minister of Health (2016-2019).
Marit Y. Kitaw
Dr. Marit Kitaw is the Interim Director of the Africa Union’s African Minerals Development Center (AMDC), dedicated to minerals for sustainable development in Africa. She was previously an Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, where she became a strong advocate of developmental mining. Marit was also Chief Technical Advisor of the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development program at UNDP Mozambique; worked in COMESA, at the African Development Bank, and at the Institute of World Affairs in Washington, DC. Marit Kitaw received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Nice/Sophia-Antipolis in France, and an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability from the University of Cumbria, UK.
Ako Ufodike
Dr. Ako Ufodike is an Assistant Professor in auditing and data analytics at York University. He is also appointed to the graduate program in Public Policy, Administration, and Law. Prior to academia, he spent 25 years as a finance executive including CFO and COO roles. He is a director of Reconciliation Energy Transition Inc., an organization focused on Carbon Capture in a partnership between the First Nations and IOCs. Dr. Ufodike sits on Alberta’s Provincial Audit Committee and the Senate of the University of Calgary. He is founder of the John Ware Institute – an organization that develops BIPOC directors to serve on corporate boards.
Titi Olayele
Dr. Titi Olayele is an Assistant Professor of Management at Crandall University, Canada. A workforce development expert with several years of experience in economic development, higher education, government, and non-profit administration, she is passionate about fostering equitable practices in economic development and industry innovation efforts. She earned both her PhD and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Regina, Canada. Her doctoral research focused on how countries can revitalize their Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector to improve economic and social mobility. Dr. Olayele previously served as Board Chair with Amakon Women Empowerment, a Canada-based non-profit organization.
John Robert Sloan
John Robert Sloan is an Economist with the Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. He specializes in industrial policy and natural resources, focusing on the transition from mining and other resource-based activities to industrialization and economic transformation. Mr. Sloan has worked for over ten years with the United Nations in Addis Ababa, Beirut and New York, covering trade, macroeconomics, conflict and development financing. His papers have been published by Yale University, the Economic Research Forum, African Development Bank and Tudor Rose Publishing. Prior to this, Mr. Sloan consulted on education policy and workforce development with the World Bank. He is a Fulbright Scholar and holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Michigan.
Andrew S. Nevin
Dr. Andrew S. Nevin is an entrepreneur, economist, strategist, and global citizen who serves as a key advocate for the advancement of economies and quality of life. He is a partner, financial services leader, and chief economist with PwC Nigeria. He brings 35+ years of experience in a wide variety of roles, including line manager, strategy consultant, investor, economist, entrepreneur, author, and public intellectual. In his working life, he has lived an equal amount of time in Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe, and has valuable experience responding to global crises and shaping the future of financial services. Dr. Nevin holds a PhD in economics from Harvard University and an MA in philosophy and politics from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. His first degree is in computer science and mathematics from Western University, Canada.
Fred Olayele
Dr. Fred Olayele is Director, Centre for African Research and Business, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Canada. His research interests span trade policy, innovation, political economy, and inclusive development. Professor Olayele has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in theoretical and applied economics, strategic management, and public policy at the University of Regina and Carleton University. He has served as a visiting professor and guest speaker across universities and academic institutions abroad. He was a Visiting Scholar at the World Trade Institute in Switzerland, and a Visiting Professor of Trade and Development at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. His research has appeared in The International Trade Journal and the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, among others. Professor Olayele is the author, editor, and co-editor of three books. He previously served as Chief Economist with the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Among others, he is Chairman, Board of Directors, Economic Club of Africa in New York; President, Economic Innovation Institute for Africa in Ottawa; member, Academic Advisory Board, Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University; and member, International Advisory Board, International Economic Development Council in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD in Economics from Lancaster University, United Kingdom and an MA in Economics from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.
Mahamadou Nassirou Ba
Mahamadou Nassirou Ba is a Senior Agricultural Economic at the UN ECA working on the nexus of climate smart agriculture, food security, trade and climate change in Africa. Before ECA, he worked for Save the Children in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and then later on with USAID (Office of Transition Initiative) in Iraq as Program Director for Southern Iraq and also with International Relief and Development based in Arlington, Virginia where he oversaw the agricultural program in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He is a Board member of Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism and has published widely on agricultural value chains.
Yiagadeesen Samy
Dr. Yiagadeesen Samy is Director, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. His research interests intersect the broad areas of international and development economics, and his current research focuses on domestic resource mobilization, fragile states, foreign aid, and deindustrialization, and income inequality. Professor Samy has been the Director of NPSIA since 2017. Prior to that, he served as Associate Director (MA program) from 2010 to 2016, and as Acting Associate Director (MA program) from 2008 to 2009. Professor Samy first joined NPSIA in 2003 and has since taught graduate courses in development economics, international trade, macroeconomics, development assistance, and quantitative methods. His most recent books are African Economic Development (Routledge, 2018), co-authored with Arch Ritter and Steven Langdon, and Exiting the Fragility Trap: Rethinking Our Approach to the World’s Most Fragile States (Ohio University Press, 2019), co-authored with David Carment. His research has appeared in journals such as the Canadian Journal of Development Studies, Third World Quarterly, International Interactions, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Foreign Policy Analysis and Applied Economics. Professor Samy is the recipient of a Research Achievement Award (2013-2014) and a Research Excellence Award (2008) from Carleton University. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Ottawa, and an MA in Economics from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Bartholomew Armah
Dr. Bartholomew Armah joined the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) following his tenure as a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (USA). As the Director a.i., of the Macroeconomics and Governance Division of ECA [March 2020- March 2022] he led research on the macroeconomic impact of the pandemic on Africa and on on-lending Special Drawing Rights, for Africa’s pandemic recovery. He has served in several capacities including as Chief Economist of the Institute of Economic Affairs (Ghana), member of Ghana’s Monetary Policy Committee, board member of Ghana’s National Investment bank, and Policy and Planning Coordinator of the UN Secretary General’s Transition Team for the reform of the UN development system.
Fergus T. Maclaren
Fergus Maclaren is a Canadian sustainable tourism planning, destination management and development professional with 25 years of international experience, currently focusing on World Heritage sites visitation and 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals implementation. His professional background includes: coordinating international meetings and input as the Director of the UN’s International Year of Ecotourism; teaching sustainable tourism at Canada’s McGill University and lecturing on the subject at post-secondary institutions internationally. He currently works in expert and professional capacities for UNESCO, UNWTO, ICOMOS, Organization of World Heritage Cities, World Monuments Fund, Economic Innovation Institute for Africa, and Heritage and Cultural Society for Africa.
Joseph Potvin
Dr. Joseph Potvin is co-founding Executive Director of Xalgorithms Foundation where he leads research and integration on the “Data With Direction Specification (DWDS)”, the title of his dissertation at UQuebec. His 30-year career in applied economics and informatics involves analysis and design for companies, governments, multilaterals and foundations. He worked on contracts to the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the International Development Research Centre, and for 10 years led formalization of free/libre/open licensing across the Canadian Government, mainly at Treasury Board Secretariat. He holds a doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Quebec, an MPhil from Cambridge (GeoEconomics), and an HonorsBA from McGill (Political-Economy).
Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba
Dr. Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba is an Adjunct Research Professor at the Institute of African Studies, Carleton University and Honorary Professor at the Thabo Mbeki School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa, where he was previously an Associate Professor. Oloruntoba is the author, editor and co-editor of several books including Regionalism and Integration in Africa: EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements and Euro-Nigeria Relations, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, USA, 2016. His research interests are in Political Economy of Development in Africa, Global Governance of Trade and Finance, Politics of Natural Resources Governance and EU-African Relations.
Craig Atkinson
Craig Atkinson is the Founder / Director of Lexmerca International Trade, a Consultant with the United Nations International Trade Centre, and a Fellow with the Stanford-Vienna Transatlantic Technology Law Forum. Before joining the UN in 2012, he began his career in commercial diplomacy with two national government agencies. He has also served as a consultant for the Commonwealth Secretariat and in the private sector. Craig’s applied research focuses on the legal-technical bases for computational forms of commercial rules that extend accessibility for humans and operationalization by machines.
Susanna Ally
Susie Ally earned a Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) in Political Studies and a minor in History from the University of Manitoba. She then completed a Master of Arts in Global Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Her focus at the Master’s level was on international security. Her dissertation investigated insurgency in Nigeria, titled “Lessons Learned? Boko Haram and the Future of Insurgencies in Nigeria”. Susie has worked as an Advocate and Policy Analyst at post-secondary institutions. Currently, she is the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Labour and Immigration for Alberta prior to which she was a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Justice.
David Oludotun Fasanya
Dr. David Oludotun Fasanya is chief strategist at Iris Bennett Consulting International (IBCI). He specialises in strategy advisory and business transformation and has consulted for organisations like Morgan Stanley, Astra Zeneca, and JP Morgan Chase. Author of the Junglepreneur book on strategic adaptation, he brings unique perspectives to overlaps of business theory and practice. He has co-authored articles in leading publications like the Journal of Business Research and is a member of the economic innovation institute of Africa. Currently he is researching African economies, policies and strategies that enhance FDI and comparative advantages in a post Covid-19 era.
Adunola Bello
Adunola Bello holds a Masters in International Development from Northumbria University, United Kingdom and currently works as a development research intern at the Centre for Global Development at Northumbria University. She was an economic analyst with PricewaterhouseCoopers Nigeria from 2019 to 2021, where she worked on public sector-related economic advisory projects and thought leadership on economic development. She holds a BSc in Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria, where she engaged in humanitarian services as the Chairperson of the Nigerian Economics Students Association Foundation. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and has been recognized recently as the postgraduate programme representative of the year, with an award for academic impact. Adunola’s goal is to positively impact the lives of others and lend innovative contributions to global development.
Matthew Gouett
Dr. Matthew Gouett is a Fellow of the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, and a Research Affiliate with SovereigNet at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. Matthew is a Ph.D. graduate of NPSIA, where his research focused on sovereign wealth funds. Prior to these studies, he obtained a Master of Arts in political science from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Omomia Omosomi
Omosomi Omomia is the Special Adviser on Revenue to the Honourable Minister of Budget, Finance, and National Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She also leads a team of economists and research analysts as Head of PwC Nigeria’s Knowledge Zone, under the office of the Chief Economist. Omosomi supports and drives the research capacity of PwC’s West Market Area in building the firm’s capabilities around strategic information and evidence-based research via priority client engagements, research support, economic analysis, and thought leadership support. She has over 10 years’ experience in market & industry research, strategy, economics, and analysis. Since joining PwC, she has contributed to the development of over 15 thought leadership publications on various subjects, industries and sectors, as well as several economic papers on key issues and topics on the Nigerian economy. She holds a B.Sc. in Economics from Babcock University, an MBA from the Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University), a Postgraduate Certificate from the IESE Business School, and a Postgraduate Certificate from the International Business Centre.
