DEBO AKANDE
EXECUTIVE ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR OF OYO STATE
Dr. Debo Akande is the Executive Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Agribusiness and the Director-General of Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency and has over 20 years experience in International Development Management.
He is also a Director with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, CEO of the IITA-CGIAR Business. He was the former Head of Olusegun Obasanjo Station in Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. He leads IITA Agribusiness management globally with a specific focus on public policy, new business development and private sector engagement in agribusiness for economic development.
He led the IITA Africa-wide program on mechanization and IFAD Agricultural Transformation in Nigeria and Togo towards achieving Zero Hunger initiative. He led the agribusiness strategy of the sub-national Oyo State government, he has managed several transformational agribusiness programs, that includes the AFDB Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) program, WB Nigeria Covid 19 Action and Recovery Economic Stimulus Program (NCARES), WB Rural Access and Mobility program (RAMP), the State Regional Agribusiness Industrial Hub program (RAIH) and Youth Enterprise Agribusiness Program (YEAP) among others.
He has successfully piloted several global agricultural development projects like the World Bank Integrated Project for Agricultural Growth (PICAGL) and the Muti-Donor AgResults Global Initiative. He was a member of the Global Consortium Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Research Program on Agriculture for Health and Nutrition and One of the four Country Coordinators of the CGIAR Flagship on Food System and Healthier Diet in the World and the second in Africa, and a CGIAR Scientific committee delegate to the United Nation Food System summit engagement process. He has led and worked with diverse international institution including with World Bank, African Development Bank, Deloitte LLP USA, USAID, UK DFID, Canada Finance, Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation and Australia Aid among many.
He holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Hertfordshire, and Masters and Bachelors Degrees in International Development Studies all from the United Kingdom and Diplomas in International Environmental Law at United Nation Institute for Training and Research, Switzerland; Agribusiness Management from Pan African University, Nigeria. He trained in Climate Change Management at the Oxford University, United Kingdom, Food Security Policy at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Bank, Negotiation Conflict Analysis and Management from the United State Institute of Peace, United States among others. He is a Chartered Manager and has been conferred a Fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute, United Kingdom.