Behind his quiet demeanor lies a steady force for progress—an advisor, scholar, and policy strategist whose influence continues to shape Oyo State’s transformation story.
Dr. Adebowale (Debo) Akande is an accomplished international development expert with over three decades of strategic leadership experience spanning Africa and beyond. He currently serves as the Executive Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on International Cooperation and Development, and is the pioneer Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA). He also holds a key leadership role as a Director at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), where he oversees four strategic portfolios across 17 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Widely respected for his quiet influence and strategic thinking, Dr. Akande is one of the close and trusted silent allies of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, playing a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in shaping the state’s development policies—particularly in the areas of agribusiness and international engagement.
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Earlier in his career, Dr. Akande led the Olusegun Obasanjo Research Station in the Democratic Republic of Congo—one of IITA’s largest Research for Development centres in Africa. He has managed and contributed to numerous international development initiatives in collaboration with institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank, USAID, UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), Deloitte LLP USA, Canada Finance, the Gates Foundation, Australian Aid, and the British Council.
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His leadership has driven several landmark agricultural development projects, including the World Bank–funded Integrated Project for Agricultural Growth (PICAGL) in the Great Lakes region and the globally celebrated AgResults Initiative—a multi-donor project promoting agricultural innovation. He was also a member of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Health and Nutrition, and served as one of four country coordinators for its flagship initiative on Food Systems and Healthier Diets—only the second person in Africa to be appointed to this position.
Dr. Akande earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. He also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in International Development Studies, alongside diplomas in International Environmental Law from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Switzerland), Agribusiness Management from the African University (Nigeria), and advanced certifications in Climate Change Management (University of Oxford), Food Security Policy (FAO and World Bank), and Conflict Analysis and Negotiation (United States Institute of Peace).
A Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (UK), Dr. Akande is a prolific scholar with over 20 published articles in globally recognized academic journals. His scholarly contributions have earned multiple accolades, including the Best Paper of the Year 2016 from the World Mycotoxin Journal.
Behind his quiet demeanor lies a steady force for progress—an advisor, scholar, and policy strategist whose influence continues to shape Oyo State’s transformation story.
