Oluyele Akinkugbe School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa   204-67 FARNHAM GATE ROAD SUITE 204 HALIFAX CANADA, NS B3M4A6 Canada   olu_akinkugbe@yahoo.com   https://www.wits.ac.za/people/academic-a-z-listing/a/oluyeleakinkugbewitsacza/   Biographical Sketch: Olu Akinkugbe is a distinguished economist, academic leader, and global policy advisor with over 40 years of teaching, research, and consulting experience across Africa, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. He earned his PhD in Applied Econometrics from the University of Ibadan in 1988, where his doctoral thesis focused on a 197-equation macro-model of the Nigerian economy. His academic career spans numerous institutions globally: The University of Ibadan, University of Zambia, University of Swaziland, University of Botswana, Rhodes University, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Namibia, Acadia University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Mount Saint Vincent University, Washington College (USA), and De Montfort University (UK/Cambodia). He has held several leadership positions—Dean of the largest faculty at the University of Namibia, Head of Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Founding Dean of the James Hope Business School in Nigeria.   Primary Research Focus: Development Policy   JEL Areas: C1 : Econometric and Statistical Methods: General I3 : Welfare and Poverty: General