Dr Jumoke Oduwole drives Nigeria’s economic reform, trade policy, and investment growth through globally informed governance strategies.
Dr Jumoke Oduwole MFR, a reform strategist and policy innovator, currently serves as Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. Appointed in October 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a crucial cabinet reshuffle, her arrival signalled a renewed focus on reform grounded in data, experience, and measurable outcomes.
Oduwole’s preparation for this role is extensive and deliberate. A graduate of the University of Lagos, where she earned her LL.B. in 1998, she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1999. She went on to earn an LL.M. in Commercial Law from the University of Cambridge as a DFID-Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar, followed by master’s and doctorate degrees in International Legal Studies and International Trade and Development from Stanford Law School.
Oduwole’s early career began in finance. Between 2000 and 2003, she worked as an investment banker with FCMB Capital Markets Ltd, later leading a corporate banking unit focused on the telecommunications sector at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. She equally joined the University of Lagos in 2004 as a senior lecturer in Jurisprudence and International Law.
Her first major foray into national reform came in 2015, when she was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment in the Office of the Vice President under President Muhammadu Buhari. During this period, she helped establish the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN) and worked on key committees, including the AfCFTA Implementation Committee and the Tax Policy Reform Committee.
From 2019 to 2023, she served as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, leading over 200 verifiable reforms that improved Nigeria’s business climate and moved the country up 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report within three years – one of the fastest improvements globally at the time.
She continued under President Tinubu as Special Adviser on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment from October 2023 to October 2024, before her elevation to the federal cabinet. As Minister, she has focused on revitalising investor confidence, improving industrial capacity, and strengthening Nigeria’s global trade position.
Jumoke Odowole has positioned Nigeria as a strong player in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and has launched initiatives such as the Industrial Revolution Work Group and the National Industry Tour to assess and revive local manufacturing.
Her influence extends into governance and academia. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025), ensuring alignment between economic goals and national policy.
The Trade and Investment Minister has gained both local and international recognition for her work. In 2023, she received the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for contributions to national development. A year later, she was inducted into the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Hall of Fame for her decade-long leadership in business climate reforms. She is also the only African ever nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment.
