The PAFO,’s Board held on 30 and 31 May 2022, in Kigali, Rwanda, appointed Dr. Babafemi Oyewole as CEO of the Organization.
Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, a Nigerian, has been appointed as the CEO of Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO) by its Board of Directors at a meeting held on 30 May 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Dr. Oyewole is a tri-sector executive and professional with experience in the public, private and non-government sectors, and a veteran in the management of international institutions. Until his appointment, he was the CEO of the African Agribusiness Alliance, Accra, Ghana; former Managing Director of the African Cashew Alliance, Accra, Ghana; former Executive Director/CEO of the African Petroleum Producers Organization’s Fund for Technical Cooperation (now African Energy Investment Corporation, AEICORP), Cotonou, Benin Republic. He also served as Deputy Secretary-General of the West African Bankers Association (WABA) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
He is also an experienced banker having served as General Manager at “Banque Internationale du Benin, Cotonou, Benin Republic”, and Senior Economist with the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (now Bank of Industry), Lagos, Nigeria. He served as a regional Consultant on natural resources management policy for local content and local economic development linkages in African resource-rich countries with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) based in Geneva. He is also a member of Africa Regional Experts on Policy Dialogue on Natural Resource-based Development at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, France.
Dr. Oyewole obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics at the university of Ilorin, Master’s degree in economics (project management) at the university of Lagos and MBA in technology, marketing, and business strategy at Olabisi Onabanjo university, Nigeria. He was a Chevening Scholar for his PhD in development economics (finance and policy) at the university of Bradford, United Kingdom. He has attended several management and executive development programs in top universities including the highly rated Lagos Business School, Nigeria and Harvard university, USA. He has published articles in international journals and made conference presentations on development policy, finance, agribusiness, and sustainable development issues. He is a regular speaker and resource person at international conferences, seminars, and workshops. He is bringing these rich, diverse experiences and expertise to lead PAFO and help the organisation achieve its mission of putting farmers at the centre of African agriculture and agribusiness to ensure sustainable economic development, employment generation, food and nutrition security in the continent.