Perspectives from Africa: Facilitating Economic Development in Nigeria

As part of a series on Development practice in Africa, Temi Phyllis Pratt (MSc Development Management) interviews key African stakeholders working on the continent to drive development across a number of sectors. In this second interview, Dr Amy Jadesimi, CEO of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) discusses the role of the private sector in industrializing Africa and being the driving force of job creation in Africa, with a specific focus on Nigeria.

Dr Amy Jadesimi is a leading advocate for private sector development in Africa. She is currently the CEO of LADOL, a $500 million Industrial Free Zone. Amy was a Commissioner for The Business & Sustainable Development Commission. She then joined the UNDP Steering Committee on SDGs and the UNICEF Advisory Group in 2019. Amy received financial training at Goldman Sachs after receiving her MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business & medical training at Oxford University. Her accolades include being listed in the Top 50 Women in Technology by (Forbes, 2018), Oil and Gas Leading Woman of the year (Foreign Investment Network, 2018), voted the Young CEO of the Year (African Leadership Forum, 2018), an Archbishop Tutu Fellow, a Young Global Leader -Alumni (WEF), a Rising Talent (Women’s Forum for Economy and Society), one of 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa (Forbes), one of Top 25 Africans to Watch (Financial Times), one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (Under 40) Worldwide (United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (UN IDPAD), 2018) She has been recognized as one of the 50 most Influential Women in Business by publications which include: The Africa Report, Jeune Afrique and the Africa CEO Forum. She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Prince’s Trust International and is a contributor to Forbes.

Feb 2nd, 2020