About the Host

Dr. Fred Olayele
Dr. Fred Olayele’s diverse career spans academia, government, finance, and international development. A distinguished economist and public policy executive, his research interests and practice areas cover trade policy, innovation, FDI, urban policy, political economy, and inclusive development. He has published and shared best practices in these areas at numerous conferences and institutions around the world. A results-oriented leader, he has consulted widely and advised many public and private organizations in Canada, United States, Spain, and across several African countries.
Professor Olayele has held academic positions and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in economics, strategy, and public policy at the University of Regina and Carleton University. He has served as a visiting professor and guest speaker across universities and academic institutions abroad. He was a Visiting Scholar at the World Trade Institute in Bern, Switzerland, and a Visiting Professor of Trade and Development at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He is Director, Centre for African Research and Business at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Canada.
He recently served as Chief Economist and Senior Vice President with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he oversaw a wide range of economic research and policy initiatives. Prior to that, he held several economic policy positions and advised the Canadian provincial governments of British Columbia and Saskatchewan across the FDI, economic development, and energy policy domains. Earlier in his career, he was a global trade finance specialist with Citigroup.
His research has appeared in The International Trade Journal and the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, among others. His most recent books include Regional Economic Systems after COVID-19: Actionable Insights for an Equitable and Resilient Recovery (Edward Elgar Publishing); African Policy Innovation and the Political Economy of Public-Private Policy Partnerships (IGI Global); and Sustainable Development in Post-Pandemic Africa: Effective Strategies for Resource Mobilization (Routledge).
He earned his PhD in Economics from Lancaster University, United Kingdom; an MA in Economics from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada; and a BSc (First Class Honors) in Economics from the University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, where he was awarded the university prize for the overall best performance.
A passionate teacher and public intellectual, he serves on various non-profit boards and supports many social causes. To learn more about his research, practice, teaching, policy engagements, and leadership initiatives, visit his personal website: http://fredolayele.com/