Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, Appointed as the First African Member of The World Trade Board
August, 2019 - Nigeria
Dr. Adesegun A. Akin-Olugbade, International Counsel at ǼLEX, has been appointed as a member of the World Trade Board. He joins twenty other global trade and finance leaders on this prestigious board, as the first from Africa.
The World Trade Board, initiated by Finastra, is made up of global leaders, innovative thinkers, industry influencers and subject matter experts from the different corners of trade, finance and commerce.
Dr. Adesegun A. Akin-Olugbade is a leading international legal and finance expert, combining the highest academic qualifications and professional distinctions with excellent legal skills, extensive transactional experience and corporate governance expertise.
He notes that “The appointment of the first African to The World Trade Board comes at a most auspicious time, with the formal launch of the operational phase of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which has established a Continental Free Trade Area for the African continent of 1.2 billion people, with a combined GDP of US$2.3 Trillion”.
Prior to his joining ǼLEX, he was with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, the Africa Finance Corporation and the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo, Egypt.
Simon Paris, Chair of The World Trade Board and CEO at Finastra said, “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 A. Akin-Olugbade to our cohort as we continue to strive towards driving open trade for the benefit of all.”
