Mr. Patrick Osakwe is an Acting Director of the Division for Africa, LDCs and Special Programmes, and Chief of the Trade, Poverty, and Inequalities Branch.
Before joining UNCTAD, he was Chief of Finance, Industry and Investment at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He also led the Trade Policy Analysis Team at UNECA for several years during which he played a key role in the establishment and management of the African Trade Policy Centre. Before joining UNECA he worked as a Senior Analyst at the central bank in Canada.
He has done extensive research in international and development economics and has published papers in reputable economic journals such as Journal of International Economics, Review of International Economics, Agricultural Economics, Journal of Asian Economics, The World Economy, Development Policy Review, and the Journal of African Trade. He has also contributed chapters in books published by Edward Elgar, Ashgate, Blackwell, Palgrave Macmillan, Routledge, and the United Nations.
Mr. Osakwe holds an MA and a PhD in Economics from Queen's University, Canada. He has won several academic awards, prizes, and fellowships. He is a valedictorian and a former member of the editorial boards of two economic and development journals.