News

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the entire Network, extends sincere congratulations to Prof. Melvin Ayogu, on his appointment as a Board Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, upon the nomination and recommendation of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The appointment of Prof. Ayogu was announced on 25 March 2025.

Prof. Ayogu has had a long-standing engagement with the AERC, and particularly in the growth and impact of the AERC capacity building activities. During his tenure as a resource person, he was a pedestal member of the Thematic Group B: Macroeconomic Policy and Growth. Over the years, the AERC has appreciated his expertise and capacity-building acumen that have contributed to the development of early-career and mid-career researchers in Africa.

Prof. Ayogu has also actively contributed to the growth of AERC’s research having engaged as an Author and Researcher in the Capital Flight and Tax Havens in Africa project over the period 2014 – 2016. Under this project, Prof. Ayogu addressed contemporary policy issues alongside other seasoned researchers from Africa and globally to generate policy-oriented research for sub-Saharan African countries. This collaboration enabled researchers to tackle complex issues with a bearing on economic policymaking in Africa and leverage the diverse skills of the various researchers in the project to deliver high-quality research outputs.

“This appointment recognizes Prof. Ayogu’s significant contributions to the AERC and his distinguished career in academia and research. His work has undoubtedly enhanced the AERC’s reputation as a leading institution in economic research and capacity building in Africa.” stated Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director, AERC.

Prof. Ayogu holds a PhD in Economics from Ohio State University, USA and BS (summa cum laude) in Economics from California State University, Northridge, USA. He has worked in academia and the private sector (banking) across three continents and over nine cities. An Associate of the Chartered Institute of Financial Services, London since 1979, Prof. Ayogu was a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for Public Policy Alternatives, Lagos; Director of the Executive MBA program and a Visiting Professor of Economics at the School of Business Administration, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Chair and Director School of Economics, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Managing Director, Global Leadership Center, Standard Bank South Group, South Africa; Fellow, Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA; Visiting Scholar to the IMF and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; Senior Rockefeller Humanities Institute Fellow, Harvard University, and Rhodes Visiting African Scholar to Oxford University. Currently, he is Professor of Pedagogy in Economics at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. His work focuses on Anti-Money Laundering, Infrastructure, and Institutions, with a focused interest on cultural narratives about gender inequalities.

The AERC is proud to celebrate this milestone and looks forward to Prof. Ayogu’s continued impact on economic policy and development in Nigeria and across the continent.