Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
{{Short description|Nigerian economist}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Professor
| name = Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
| image = Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka.jpg
| birth_name = Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka
| nationality = Nigerian
| education = Obafemi Awolowo University (B.Sc, Chemical Engineering) University of Toronto (M.Sc, Chemical Engineering) University of Sussex (D.Phil., Development Economics in Industrialization Innovation and Technology Policy)
| occupation = Author, and Economist
| organization = African Development Bank, United Nations
| known_for = First Nigerian Professor in Industrialization Innovation and Technology Policy
| website = {{URL|banjioyeyinka.com}}
}}
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).{{Cite web |title=African Development Bank to provide $540M for agricultural development in Nigeria |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/african-development-bank-to-provide-540m-for-agricultural-development-in-nigeria/3131083 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.aa.com.tr}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-05-11 |title=Nigeria Needs Immediate Economic Diversification - African Development Bank |url=https://firstcentralcreditbureau.com/nigeria-needs-immediate-economic-diversification-african-development-bank/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=FirstCentral Credit Bureau |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kanu |first=Peace Piak |date=2024-02-05 |title=AfDB to disburse $540 million for Special Agricultural Zones |url=https://von.gov.ng/afdb-to-disburse-540-million-for-special-agricultural-zones/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Voice of Nigeria |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2019-06-22 |title=Economic prosperity in Africa through regional integration |url=https://www.africanews.com/2019/06/21/economic-prosperity-in-africa-through-regional-integration/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Africanews |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Noble |first=Barnes & |title=From Reversal of Fortune to Economic Resurgence: Industrialization and Leadership in Asia's Prosperity and Nigeria's Regress{{!}}Paperback |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-reversal-of-fortune-to-economic-resurgence-oyebanji-oyelaran-oyeyinka/1144544081 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Barnes & Noble |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Odutola |first=Abiola |date=2021-10-31 |title=AfDB, AfCFTA secretariat partner to stimulate industries to compete on global scale |url=https://nairametrics.com/2021/10/31/afdb-afcfta-secretariat-partner-to-stimulate-industries-to-compete-on-global-scale/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Nairametrics |language=en-US}}
Early life and education
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.https://www.inderscience.com/info/dl.php?filename=2005/ijtg-351.pdf{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFVMFnsMnzY |title=04 - Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |language=en |access-date=2024-03-31 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{Cite web |title=Technology Policy and Practice in Africa {{!}} IDRC - International Development Research Centre |url=https://idrc-crdi.ca/en/book/technology-policy-and-practice-africa |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=idrc-crdi.ca |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-09-12 |title=Academy seeks role for engineers in national development agenda |url=https://guardian.ng/property/academy-seeks-role-for-engineers-in-national-development-agenda/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |url=https://www.acts-net.org/prof-banji-oyelaran-oyeyinka |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.acts-net.org |language=en-gb}}
Career
Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is an academic and administrator, known for his contributions to the field of Development Economics in Nigeria and Africa.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-24 |title=How Oil-dependence truncated Nigeria's Industrial Development |url=https://dailytrust.com/how-oil-dependence-truncated-nigerias-industrial-development-2/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Daily Trust|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Africa |first=Ventures |date=2023-08-09 |title=Amina Mohammed, Abubakar Suleiman, Joyce Banda, Matthias Schmale, Oyeyinka to headline Africa Social Impact Summit 2023 |url=https://venturesafrica.com/amina-mohammed-abubakar-suleiman-joyce-banda-matthias-schmale-oyeyinka-to-headline-africa-social-impact-summit-2023/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Ventures Africa |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Okojie |first=Josephine |date=2022-07-28 |title=Nigeria never tagged AfDB's most difficult client – Oyeyinka |url=https://businessday.ng/news/article/nigeria-never-tagged-afdbs-most-difficult-client-oyeyinka/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=Businessday NG |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Nigeria Ranks 118th Position On Global Innovation Index {{!}} Independent Newspaper Nigeria |url=https://independent.ng/nigeria-ranks-118th-position-on-global-innovation-index/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |language=en-GB}}
He was a professor at the United Nations University – 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 – MERIT, Netherlands and the Open University, UK.https://www.merit.unu.edu/archive/docs/hl/200701_banji_tribute.pdf{{Cite web |title=The Open University |url=https://oro.open.ac.uk/view/person/ooo38.html |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=oro.open.ac.uk |language=en}}
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).{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-10-18 |title=Ex-UN-habitat chief, Oyelaran-Oyeyinka moves to AfDB |url=https://guardian.ng/appointments/ex-un-habitat-chief-oyelaran-oyeyinka-moves-to-afdb/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}} He was also a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER).{{Cite web |title=NISER Hosts Inaugural Meeting of Governing Council - THISDAYLIVE |url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/05/12/niser-hosts-inaugural-meeting-of-governing-council |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=www.thisdaylive.com |language=en}}
Books and publications
Banji has authored and co-authored some books that has contributed to the field of Development Economics.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUxw1XHK_Hs |title=Channels Book Club: Interview With Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka Pt.1 |language=en |access-date=2024-03-31 |via=www.youtube.com}} Here are some of his books:
- Industrialization and Economic Diversification: Post Crisis Development Agenda in Asia and Africa co-authored with Kaushalesh Lal (2022){{Cite book |last1=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first1=Oyebanji |url=https://www.econbiz.de/Record/industrialization-and-economic-diversification-post-crisis-development-agenda-in-asia-and-africa-oyelaran-oyeyinka-oyebanji/10013460428 |title=Industrialization and economic diversification : post-crisis development agenda in Asia and Africa |last2=Lal |first2=Kaushalesh |date=2022 |publisher=London : Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-24532-2 |series=Routledge studies in development economics}}
- Resurgent Africa: Structural Transformation in Sustainable Development 2020{{Cite book |last=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first=Banji |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/resurgent-africa/AF4A16E6DEB940787D76A7AB0284A53E |title=Resurgent Africa: Structural Transformation in Sustainable Development |date=2020 |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1-78527-344-5}}
- Structural Transformation and Economic Development: Cross-Regional Analysis of Industrialization and Urbanization, Routledge Publishers (2017){{Cite web |title=Structural transformation and economic development : cross regional analysis of industrialization and urbanization {{!}} WorldCat.org |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/1066086315 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=search.worldcat.org |language=en}}
- Sustainable Industrialization in Africa: Toward a New Development Agenda, co-authored with Padmashree Gehl Sampath 2015{{Citation |last=Sampath |first=Padmashree Gehl |title=Sustainable Industrialization in Africa |chapter=Sustainable Industrialization in Africa: Toward a New Development Agenda |date=2016 |pages=1–19 |editor-last=Sampath |editor-first=Padmashree Gehl |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-56112-1_1 |access-date=2024-03-31 |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-137-56112-1_1 |isbn=978-1-137-56112-1 |editor2-last=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |editor2-first=Banji}}
- Urban Innovation in China's Shanty Towns coauthored with Pengfei Ni and Fei Chen (2015)http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/36841/1/12.pdf
- Rich Country Poor People: The Story of Nigeria's Poverty amid Plenty (2014){{Cite book |last=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first=Banji |url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/10790029 |title=Rich country poor people: Nigeria's story of poverty in the midst of plenty |date=2014 |publisher=Technopol Publishers |isbn=978-978-8013-42-6 |location=Lagos?}}
- Uneven Paths of Development: Innovation and Learning in Asia and Africa, co-authored with Rajah Rasiah, Edward Elgar Publishing (2009){{Cite journal |last1=Oyelaren-Oyeyinka |first1=Banji |last2=Rasiah |first2=Rajah |date=2009 |title=Uneven Paths of Development |url=https://ideas.repec.org//b/elg/eebook/13131.html |journal=Books |language=en}}https://www.merit.unu.edu/archive/docs/hl/200809_Uneven%20Paths%20Flyer.pdf
- Latecomer Development: Knowledge and Innovation for Economic Growth co-authored with Padmashree Gehl Sampath Routledge Publishing, (2010){{Cite book |last=Sampath |first=Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Padmashree Gehl |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203865729/latecomer-development-banji-oyelaran-oyeyinka-padmashree-gehl-sampath |title=Latecomer Development: Innovation and Knowledge for Economic Growth |date=2009-11-15 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-203-86572-9 |location=London |doi=10.4324/9780203865729}}
- The Gene Revolution and the Global Food Crisis: Biotechnology Capacity in Latecomer Countries, co-authored with Padmashree Gehl Sampath, Palgrave McMillan (2009){{Cite book |last1=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first1=Oyebanji |url=https://www.econbiz.de/Record/the-gene-revolution-and-global-food-security-biotechnology-innovation-in-latecomers-oyelaran-oyeyinka-oyebanji/10003866229 |title=The gene revolution and global food security : biotechnology innovation in latecomers |last2=Gehl Sampath |first2=Padmashree |date=2009 |publisher=Houndmills, Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-22882-5}}{{Cite journal |last1=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first1=Banji |last2=Sampath |first2=Padmashree Gehl |date=2009 |title=The Gene Revolution and Global Food Security |url=https://ideas.repec.org//b/pal/palbok/978-0-230-27799-1.html |journal=Palgrave Macmillan Books |language=en}}
- Learning to Compete in African Industry, Ashgate Publishing (2006){{Cite book |last1=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first1=Oyebanji |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/578313 |title=Learning to compete in African industry :: institutions and technology in development /: Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |last2=Technology |first2=Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and |date=2006 |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0-7546-4643-3 |language=en}}
- Industrial Clusters and Innovation Systems in Africa, co-authored with Dorothy Mc-Cormick, United Nations University Press, (2007)https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:2478/pdf9789280811377.pdf{{Cite book |last1=Oyelaran-Oyeyinka |first1=Oyebanji |url=https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/601875 |title=Industrial clusters and innovation systems in Africa :: institutions, markets and policy /: edited by Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and Dorothy McCormick |last2=McCormick |first2=Dorothy |last3=University |first3=U. N. |last4=Technology |first4=Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and |date=2007 |publisher=UN University Press |isbn=978-92-808-1137-7 |language=en}}