Dr. Aloysius Uche Ordu is a senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative in the Global Economy and Development program. Prior to taking up his appointment at Brookings, he was managing partner at Omapu Associates LLC, a boutique advisory services and consulting firm. He was previously vice president at the African Development Bank. Before his appointment as vice president, he was regional director for Eastern Africa (covering Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Uganda).
Dr. Ordu worked at the World Bank for over 22 years and served in various leadership and managerial capacities, including director of operations policy and country services; operations director for the Latin America and the Caribbean region; country manager (Manila, Philippines); manager, development effectiveness, Middle East and North Africa region; and manager, Young Professionals Program—the World Bank Group’s source of talent. He led the design of investment projects in diverse sectors, including urban water and sanitation, agriculture, irrigation and rural development, energy, and transport infrastructure.
Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he worked as an international economist at the Midland Bank Group, London, covering emerging markets. Before that he worked at The Economist Intelligence Unit, London, covering sovereign risks. Dr. Ordu is a member of the board of directors of the Partnership for Transparency Fund, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Accra-based African Center for Economic Transformation. He served as senior consultant to the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environmental Program, the African Development Bank, and the World Bank.
Dr. Ordu’s research interests include trade theory and policy, regional economic integration, public health economics, governance, infrastructure, development policy, Asia-Africa economic relations and resource economics. He has published numerous commentaries on African affairs through the Brookings Africa in Focus blog and through the Nairobi-based East African Newspaper.
He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Sussex University, M.Sc. in quantitative economics from Bristol University, and B.Sc. in economics and law from University College, Cardiff, Wales, U.K.
