Dr. Yemi Kale
Group Chief Economist & Managing Director Research &Trade Intelligence , Afrieximbank
Professional Profile – Dr. Yemi Kale
Group Chief Economist & Managing Director, Research and Trade Intelligence – African
Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Dr. Yemi Kale is a globally respected economist and executive leader with more than 25 years of
experience shaping Africa’s economic, trade, and development agenda. He currently serves as
Group Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research and Trade Intelligence at
Afreximbank, where he provides intellectual leadership for the Bank’s research, trade
intelligence, and policy innovation across more than 50 African countries.
Before joining Afreximbank, Dr. Kale was Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG West Africa,
Senior Adviser at the World Bank, and Chief Executive Officer /Statistician-General of Nigeria’s
National Bureau of Statistics (2011–2021), where he modernized data systems. His reforms transformed the NBS
into a globally recognized institution, enhancing credibility, timeliness, and public trust in
Nigeria’s official data.
Dr. Kale’s career also spans global finance, having worked as a Quantitative Analyst at Merrill
Lynch and an Equity Analyst at Goldman Sachs in London, as well as Group Head of Research
and Investment Strategy at Stanbic IBTC Bank, where he pioneered Nigeria’s modern
investment research industry.
A prolific thought leader, Dr. Kale is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Contemporary Issues in
African Trade and Trade Finance (CIAT) and has authored numerous books, articles, and policy
papers on Africa’s economic transformation, trade, and governance. He is a frequent keynote
speaker at global conferences, where he brings a unique perspective that bridges public service,
academia, finance, and international development.
Dr. Kale holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Economics (with Distinction) from the London School of
Economics, a B.Sc. in Economics (First-Class Honours) from Addis Ababa University, and is an
alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Leadership in Government program. He is a Fellow
of the Royal Statistical Society (UK), the Nigerian Statistical Association, and a member of the
Next Bretton Woods Think Tank.
Recognized for his integrity and professionalism, he has received several prestigious domestic
and international awards for excellence , including the National Productivity Order of Merit
(2018) by the Nigerian President and African Financial Analyst of the Year (2009). He also
serves on multiple boards and advisory councils, including Accountability Lab Nigeria and
financial institutions across Africa.
