Dr. Jumoke Oduwole stands at the forefront of Nigeria’s reform movement, a legal scholar turned policy maker whose work has reshaped the country’s business landscape and elevated its global standing. Born on 11 March 1972 to Professor Oladele Oduwole and Mrs. Olusola Oduwole, she grew up in a family that valued knowledge, discipline, and service. With honours at home and fellowships abroad, she embodies the possibilities of leadership grounded in education, vision, and integrity.
Oduwole’s academic journey is both impressive and inspiring. She earned her law degree (LL.B) from the University of Lagos before pursuing a master’s degree (LL.M) at the University of Cambridge. Her passion for international trade and development led her to Stanford Law School, where she obtained a doctorate (JSD) in international trade and development law. Returning to the University of Lagos as a lecturer and later senior lecturer, she taught courses on international economic law, intellectual property, and public international law, shaping a new generation of Nigerian legal minds.
Her career also reflects time in the private sector, where she worked in corporate finance with Guaranty Trust Bank and First City Monument Bank. This early exposure to the realities of business challenges later informed her policy work, allowing her to design reforms that balance innovation with accessibility. By combining academic insight with practical experience, Oduwole built the foundation for her transition into public service.
That transition cemented her role as a reformer. She served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, later becoming Special Adviser on Ease of Doing Business. In these roles, she played a central part in the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), driving reforms designed to simplify processes, attract investment, and make Nigeria a more competitive economy. Under her leadership, Nigeria recorded significant improvements in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index, earning her national and international recognition.
Her influence extends beyond Nigeria’s borders. In 2013, Oduwole was appointed to the prestigious Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where she applied her expertise to development issues through a global lens. She is also a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow of the African Leadership Institute, a programme recognizing emerging African leaders committed to transformative change. In 2020, she joined the Amujae Initiative, led by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which mentors and supports African women in leadership.
In 2023, Oduwole’s reputation for thought leadership earned her a Senior Fellowship at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where she deepened her engagement on governance, development, and business reform. That same year, she was honoured with the national title of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), a recognition of her outstanding service to Nigeria.
Today, as Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole continues to shape the nation’s economic future. Her journey — from academia to the pinnacle of public service — underscores her belief in knowledge as a tool for national development. In her, Nigeria finds not only a reformer but also a role model for young leaders, particularly women, who aspire to harness education and integrity in service of a greater vision. Her story is a reminder that with discipline, courage, and purpose, leadership can indeed transform a nation.
