Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is a scholar, researcher, and professor in economics, innovation, and technology management in developing countries. He serves as the senior special adviser on industrialization to the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He is also a member of the Advisory Council on Industrialization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and has received the National Productivity Order of Merit.
Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka was born in Nigeria and pursued higher education in engineering and economics. He earned a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, followed by an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He later obtained a D.Phil. in Development Economics from the University of Sussex. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers.
Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is an academic and administrator, known for his contributions to the field of Development Economics in Nigeria and Africa.
He was a professor at the United Nations University â Institute for New technologies (UNU-INTECH) from 2001 -2006. He is the first Nigerian professor in first Nigerian professor in Industrialization Innovation and Technology Policy and a visiting professor at the United Nations University â MERIT, Netherlands and the Open University, UK.
He served at the United Nations (UN) system for 20 years, his last positions been Director, Regional Office for Africa, Chief Scientific Advisor, UN-HABITAT, and Director Monitoring & Research Division. He was Senior Economic Adviser, UN Centre on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva where he coordinated the ten-year review of performance of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He was also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER).
Banji has authored and co-authored some books that has contributed to the field of Development Economics. Here are some of his books: