H.E. Dr. Jumoke Oduwole

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is a distinguished policy reformer and legal expert, currently serving as Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR , she leads efforts to revitalize investor confidence and accelerate Nigeria’s economic growth. Dr. Oduwole’s leadership in trade negotiations and business climate reforms has been instrumental in improving Nigeria’s standing as a global reformer.

Before becoming Minister, Dr. Oduwole served as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu GCFR on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment from October 2023 to October 2024. She also held senior roles under the Buhari Administration, first as the Senior Special Assistant on Industry, Trade, and Investment, and later as Special Adviser on Ease of Doing Business from November 2015 to May 2023. During this time, she and her team at PEBEC successfully delivered over 200 reforms, improving Nigeria’s business climate and advancing Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business report.

Dr. Oduwole has been a key player in important reform committees, including the AfCFTA Implementation Committee and the Tax Policy Reform Committee, and was instrumental in the creation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN). She chaired the Technical Working Team for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.

In recognition of her contributions to national development, Dr. Oduwole was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) honor in May 2023. In 2024, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) for her decade-long work on improving Nigeria’s business environment.

Dr. Oduwole is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Lagos, with research interests in international economic law and development. She is also the Vice-President representing West Africa on the Executive Board of the Africa Association of International Law.

A recognized policy entrepreneur, Dr. Oduwole has served as a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government (M-RCBG) at Harvard Kennedy School and as a Governance Advisor to the MIT Governance Lab in 2022 for her innovative governance reforms.

Dr. Oduwole has also served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria and worked in investment and corporate banking at FCMB and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank). Passionate about youth empowerment, she has mentored Nigerian youth for over 15 years.

Dr. Oduwole holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Lagos, an LL.M in Commercial Law as a DFID Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar from Cambridge University, and a Master’s in International Legal Studies and Doctorate in International Trade and Development from Stanford Law School. She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1999.

Dr. Oduwole is also a talented photographer, with her work exhibited in Lagos, The Hague, and Leiden. Committed to development issues across Africa, Dr. Oduwole continues to inspire future leaders through her work in government, academia, and beyond.