African Development Bank names Kevin Chika Urama as chief economist

The African Development Bank has appointed Kevin Chika Urama as chief economist and vice president of the bank’s economic governance and knowledge management complex.

Urama, a British citizen, has 30 years’ experience in economic policy and knowledge management. He takes on the two roles after holding them on an acting basis, and is also a senior director at the bank’s African Development Institute.

Prior to joining the African Development Bank (AfDB), Chika Urama held various executive leadership positions in academia, international organizations, and the private sector. He served as the inaugural managing director of the Quantum Global Research Laboratory in Zug, Switzerland and executive director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network in Nairobi, Kenya. He was also a lecturer at the University of Nigeria.

Chika Urama holds an MPhil and PhD in land economy from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor’s and master’s in agricultural economics from the University of Nigeria.

In response to his appointment, Chika Urama said: “I am confident that together with the amazing teams in the vice presidency and across the Bank Group, we will build on the institution’s role as the leading provider of knowledge solutions to drive inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa.”

AfDB President Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “Professor Urama is a respected global development economist, and a business leader with extensive global experience in economic policy and knowledge management. He will lead the team and deliver on the Bank’s mandate on Economic Research, Economic Governance & Knowledge Management.”