Professor Oluyele Akinwale Akinkugbe

Professor Oluyele Akinwale Akinkugbe

Prof. Akinkugbe’s academic foundation is rooted in rigorous quantitative analysis and its practical application. He holds a doctorate in Applied Econometrics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where his pioneering thesis developed a 197-equation macro-model of the Nigerian economy. This work, completed as part of the prestigious Ford Foundation-sponsored LINK Project—a global economic modeling consortium—placed him at the frontier of macroeconomic policy translation, a lifelong commitment to bridging high-level research with real-world impact that has defined his entire career.

 

Over four decades, he has held leadership roles at some of the world’s most respected institutions, teaching and leading in universities across Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, and Rwanda. His leadership footprint is substantial: he served as Dean of the largest faculty at the University of Namibia, overseeing more than 10,000 students and close to 70 faculty and staff, and as Head of Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Most recently, he served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Kigali, Rwanda, where he played a key role in advancing that institution’s strategic growth and global positioning.

 

Beyond academic administration, Prof. Akinkugbe is renowned for his ability to transform institutions. His leadership philosophy—centred on sustainable governance, financial resilience, faculty development, and deep community engagement—has resulted in successful faculty restructurings, robust quality assurance systems, and the cultivation of impactful international partnerships.

 

His influence also extends deeply into the world of policy. As a respected advisor in the global community, he is frequently sought after by numerous regional and multilateral institutions—the World Trade Organization (WTO), African Caribbean and Pacific regional grouping (ACP); Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP in New York, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, etc.); the African Development Bank (AfDB); Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA); the Commonwealth International; etc. He served and continues to serve as a consultant/resource person on a wide range of economic and social issues.  He is a seasoned academician with a substantial number of papers in international peer reviewed Journals and has edited Books, attended several academic conferences and workshops in Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia. Notable contributions include designing Barbados’ national macroeconometric model and advising on youth employment and industrial strategy across Southern Africa. A prolific scholar, his research addresses pressing issues in energy economics, trade policy, health and education financing, and poverty dynamics, consistently bridging the gap between academic discourse and tangible policy change.

 

Current Engagements & Vision 

A Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand—2015 to date—, Prof. Akinkugbe continues to shape institutional transformation across the globe. Before joining James Hope University, he served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, at the University of Kigali. And between December 2024 and July 2025, Olu was a pioneer academic staff and visiting Professor of Economics and Business Data at De Montfort University Cambodia (the first British University in Cambodia). His 5-year academic leadership plan for James Hope University includes prioritizing global partnerships, realigning, co-streaming, and expanding programs, opening the Agbor Campus of the University for undergraduate programs in Basic Medical and Health Sciences, and raising the global profile and visibility.

 

Beyond academia, he remains a sought-after external examiner and Professorial-promotion reviewer for many African universities, ensuring rigor in economic scholarship.