The Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy

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Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili is the Vice President of the World Bank in charge of Africa. She previously served as Nigeria's Minister of Education and Minister for Solid Minerals Development. Prior to being appointed a Minister, Oby served as the Senior Assistant to the President and Head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit in the Office of the President of Nigeria. She piloted the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which opened up the oil, gas and mining sectors to wider public scrutiny through transparency and accountability mechanisms.

A leader in development and governance initiatives, Oby serves on the boards of several national and international organizations committed to economic development and democratic issues both in Nigeria and elsewhere. She was one of the founders of Transparency International (TI) in 1994, and served on the TI board for five years until October 1999, when she stepped down.

In January 2004, Oby was given Tufts University’s prestigious Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship, joining that rare breed of Nobel Laureates who were past winners of this award. She was the recipient of Harvard University’s prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in public service in 2000. The Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors conferred on her an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her leadership of the reform of the public procurement system. She was also cited in the publication “Heroes of Democracy”, in recognition of her pro-democracy advocacy roles.

Oby, who is still in pursuit of a doctoral degree in public policy, with a special focus on economic development policy, is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration, a Master of International Law and Diplomacy, a BSc in business education, and has qualified as a Chartered Accountant after a career in Akintola Williams Deloitte and Touche.

Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili is the Minister of Education and previously served as the Minister for Solid Minerals Development. Until July 2005, Oby served as the Senior Assistant to the President and Head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit in the Office of the President of Nigeria. She piloted the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which opened up the oil, gas and mining sectors to wider public scrutiny through transparency and accountability mechanisms. A leader in development and governance initiatives, Oby serves on the boards of several national and international organizations committed to economic development and democratic issues both in Nigeria and elsewhere. She was one of the founders of Transparency International (TI) in 1994, and served on the TI board for five years until October 1999, when she stepped down. In January 2004, Oby was given Tufts University’s prestigious Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship, joining that rare breed of Nobel Laureates who were past winners of this award. She was the recipient of Harvard University’s prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in public service in 2000. The Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors conferred on her an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her leadership of the reform of the public procurement system. She was also cited in the publication “Heroes of Democracy”, in recognition of her pro-democracy advocacy roles. Oby, who is still in pursuit of a doctoral degree in public policy, with a special focus on economic development policy, is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration, a Master of International Law and Diplomacy, a BSc in business education, and has qualified as a Chartered Accountant after a career in Akintola Williams Deloitte and Touche.

Advisory Board