AKINOLA, Adebayo Akinboye

A Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, where he has been teaching, undertaking research, and advocacy (involving gender, youth, male, and female) on economic, social, and development policy issues for more than 20 years. He has been involved in value chain analysis, technology evaluation combined with dissemination and impact assessment of several projects in sub Saharan Africa. He has published many peer-reviewed articles and numerous reports, conference papers, extension materials, and policy briefs on a wide range of issues facing the agricultural and food system in Africa.

Research Interest

Professor Adebayo Akinola's research interests cover a wide range of rural economic issues, including seed systems, value chains, farm-level efficiency, and technology evaluation and transfer for enhanced food security, better nutrition, and poverty reduction.

Mentoring (PhD students and master’ students)

Professor Adebayo Akinola has supervised and graduated 5 Ph.D students and 7 MSc students. He currently supervises 5 MSc students and 1 PhD student. He also mentored, trained, and guided many graduate students, not directly assigned to him

Grants and Consultancy 

Some Grants for On-going and Previous Projects

1. Grant for the Ex Ante Impact Assessment of Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) in Nigeria, Niger, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, sponsored by Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Ghana.                                                                2010     
2. Grant for Bibliographic Review of Impact Assessment and Adoption Studies on Roots and Tubers: A Contribution to the Current CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (CRP-RTB) in Africa, sponsored by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan.                                                                              2012
3. Grant for the Nigeria Country Plan Baseline and Varietal Monitoring Survey towards Understanding the Data to Establish Current Levels of Agricultural Outcome Indicators for Key Crops and Livestock, and Adoption and Productivity Targets, sponsored by the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation                                                                  2017
4. Grant for Study on Climate Change in Ghana on the Assessment of Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions and Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change in Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions of Ghana, sponsored by CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)                                 2017
5. Grant for Food Systems for Healthier Diets on Strengthening the Food Systems for Healthier Diets in Nigeria, supported by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan                 2017
6. Grant for Training in large demand systems modeling using SAS, Supported by the Agricultural & Applied Economics, University of Georgia                                                                            2019
7. Grant for Training in Analysis of Large Cross-Sectional Data Using STATA, Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA                                                                                                                        2019
8. Grant to Attend the African Association of Agricultural Economists, Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA       2019
9. Grant for the Review of the Nigeria Food System, Supported by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan  2019
10. Grant for IMAGE Nigeria Varietal Monitoring Survey, Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA               2020-2022
11. Principal Investigator, National Research Fund of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, sponsored by the Nigerian Government                                                                                           2021 – 2024
12. Principal Investigator, Institutional Based Research (IBR), sponsored by the Nigerian Government.                                                2024 to Date

Some Consultancy Projects

1. Short Term Consultant (STC) World Bank- January 2025 to Date. Has carried out many consultancy assignments for the World Bank in Nigeria.
2. Consultant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)  under the Nigeria for Women Project.– January to February 2024
3. Consultant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on Aflasafe Project June 2023 to January 2025
4. Consultant to Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) for Economic Analysis of CGIAR Innovations - October 2024 to December 2025

Current Policy Engagement

Member, SPIA-Nigeria Project June 2025 to Date.

International / national recognition (editorial or advisory boards, awards, etc.)

Second Best Scientific Presentation: Annual Conference of African

Association of Agricultural Economists, La Palm Beach Hotel, Ghana: August

20th -23rd, 2007

Professor Kenneth Herald Parson Prize in Land Economics for the Best Graduating Student with the Highest Score in the Land Economics Course           1996

Professor Hezekial Adedunmola Oluwasanmi Memorial Prize for the Best Student with the Highest CPGA in the Department of Agricultural Economics          1996

Professor Kenneth Herald Parson Prize in Agricultural Marketing for the Best Graduating Student with the Highest Score in the Agricultural Marketing Course                                                              1996

Professor Caleb Adeniyi Osuntogun Prize for the Best Student with the Highest CPGA in the Department of Agricultural Economics                                  1996