Deputy Executive Secretary

Dr. Ayemi Lawani is a socioeconomist and policy expert with over two decades of experience in research leadership, academic program management, and public policy advisory work in Africa and North America. Prior to joining the CODESRIA Secretariat, Dr. Lawani served as Research Director at Afrika Nunya – International Institute for Policy and Development in Lomé, Togo, and as Associate Professor at the University of Kara. In these roles, he spearheaded teaching and research initiatives in entrepreneurship, local governance, and monitoring and evaluation systems. Dr. Lawani has been involved in designing and evaluating numerous multi-stakeholder development programs across West Africa, collaborating with international institutions and national ministries.

Dr. Lawani holds a Ph.D. in Development Sociology from the University of Montreal (Canada), a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Delaware (USA), and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Lomé (Togo). His research and consulting work spans decentralization, gender and entrepreneurship, monitoring and evaluation, and the political economy of local development. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and collective volumes and is the author of the book Entrepreneuriat au Togo: Opter pour des politiques audacieuses.