Nigeria's Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade appointed as a member World Trade Board

NIGERIAN legal and financial expert Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade has been appointed as a member of the World Trade Board (WTB) becoming the first African to become an executive to be named to its leadership.

Dr Akin-Olugbade, an international counsel, joins 20 other global trade and finance leaders on the board, as the first African member of the WTB. Simon Paris, the chairman of the WTB said that the appointment comes at a most auspicious time, with the formal inauguration of the operational phase of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Mr Paris said: “AfCFTA has established a Continental Free Trade Area for the African continent of 1.2bn people, with a combined gross domestic product of $2.3trn. With protectionism looming large around the world and ever-increasing regulation throwing up new challenges, global trade is in a state of flux.

“In this unchartered environment, the board’s common vision of collaborative, connected, inclusive trade enabled by the latest business technologies has never been more important. We welcome Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade to our cohort as we continue to strive toward driving open trade for the benefit of all.”

He added that Dr Akin-Olugbade is combining the highest academic qualifications and professional distinctions with excellent legal skills, extensive transactional experience and corporate governance expertise. Prior to Dr Akin-Olugbade joining AfCFTA, he was with the African Development Bank group, the Africa Finance Corporation and the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo, Egypt.