Prof. Oluwakemi B. Okuwa

Okuwa Oluwakemi Bolaji is a Research Professor of Labour and Education Economics at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Nigeria. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Economics from Ogun State University Ago –Iwoye, her Master's and Doctorate in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She has about thirty years of research experience in Labour Economics, Development Economics, Education Policy and Finance. She is currently the head of the Human Capital Policy Department and the coordinator of specialised training programs at NISER.

She was an alternate Board Member of the Financial Institutions Training Center (FITC) and a Research Committee Board member of the Chartered Institute of Banker of Nigeria (CIBN); She has consulted widely as an Education and Labour Economist for the State and Federal governments as well as International Organizations, especially the World Bank, African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), UNDP, ILO country office, DFID/Creative Associate, Action Aid International (Nigeria office), Comic-Relief UK/Universalia, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Nigeria and Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)/IDRC. Okuwa has worked for the World Bank, USAID and Comic Relief U.K. on Global Partnership for Education, Education sector analysis and assessment, Transforming Education for Girls in Nigeria and Tanzania and the Kano State Education Account project.

She has served as a member of the Technical Working Group of some of Nigeria’s policy document – Vision 2010, Vision 20:2020, Medium Term National Development Plan 2021-2025, Nigeria Agenda 2050 as well as sector plan of some state governments. She served as a labour Economist expert during the preparation and validation workshop on labour statistics and LMIS organized by the ILO (county office), GIZ, and NUC. She was a Visiting Research Scholar at the International Monetary Fund Washington D.C., Global Development Network (GDN) Research Observer and Research Fellow at the Ibadan School of Governance and Public Policy. She is a life member of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Vice-Chairperson of the Nigerian Economic Society, Oyo State Chapter, Member Association for the Advancement of African Women Economist (AAAWE), African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), former HERPNET Treasurer and current Financial Secretary of HERPNET.

She is married to Elder Olukayode Okuwa, the union is blessed with children and grandchildren.