Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili is a Nigerian economic policy expert with extensive experience in governance, international development, and anti-corruption reform. She served as Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals (2005–2006) and Minister of Education (2006–2007), where she advanced transparency and accountability initiatives. Earlier, she established and led the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit—known as the “Due Process Office”—which strengthened public procurement oversight in Nigeria. From 2007 to 2012, Ezekwesili was Vice President of the World Bank for the Africa Region, managing a portfolio exceeding $40 billion across 48 countries.
In this capacity, she led policy engagement with African governments, promoted regional integration, and supported structural reforms for sustainable growth. She also co-founded and served as pioneer director of Transparency International, where she contributed to shaping global anti-corruption standards.
Ezekwesili has been a fellow at Yale University and the Robert Bosch Academy and sits on the boards of several international institutions and universities. She has received multiple awards, including the Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for her work on transparency and accountability in the extractive industries. Ezekwesili continues to influence policy and governance reform across Africa. She is the founder of the #FixPolitics Initiative and the School of Politics, Policy, and Governance, as well as Human Capital Africa, which addresses foundational learning challenges in African education. She serves as a senior economic advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative and chairs the board of Women Political Leaders.