Oluwanbepelumi Esther Olanubi, PhD, is a macroeconomist and policy advisor with extensive experience in economic policy design, macro-fiscal analysis, and institutional reform across emerging and developing economies. Her work sits at the intersection of rigorous economic research and high level policy engagement, with a focus on advancing evidence based policymaking in the Global South.
Dr Olanubi is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Kingsgate Advisors Institute, a nonpartisan economic think tank focused on developing innovative solutions to improve policy and decision-making and empowering economies at the local, national and global levels to unlock their full potential.
She also serves as a Technical Adviser to the Special Adviser to the President on Finance and the Economy, resident at the Federal Ministry of Finance. In this capacity, she contributes to the design, sequencing, and implementation of macroeconomic and fiscal reforms, providing analytical support and strategic advice to senior policymakers and the Economic Management Team. Her work includes the development of policy briefs, reform frameworks, and forward-looking macroeconomic analysis to inform decision-making at the highest levels of government. She recently completed the Chief Economist of the Government Network (CEoG) Presidential Fellowship Program.
She was a Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) from 2024 to 2026, contributing to national policy dialogue through policy briefs, research, publications, and advisory inputs on macroeconomic, fiscal, and development issues.
Her professional experience spans both the public and private sectors. She previously worked with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council between 2020 and 2022, where she supported the preparation of technical reports and policy briefs presented to the President of Nigeria, covering global, regional, and domestic economic developments. She served as Senior Economist and later Team Lead for Research, Publications, and Policy, overseeing macroeconomic analysis, forecasting, and high-level client advisory at one of Nigeria’s foremost Financial and Economic Advisory firms.
Dr Olanubi has also undertaken consulting engagements in macroeconomic modelling and policy analysis, including leading forecasting work on Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook for a research firm in 2025. She also built a functional model capable of forecasting inflation in Nigeria and Kenya for Stears in 2023. Her research and advisory work are complemented by contributions to academic and policy oriented publications, with several articles in reputable international peer-reviewed journals with several citations.
She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Lagos, with a specialisation in macroeconomics and development economics, and received a competitive research grant from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) in 2019. She is trained in advanced macroeconomic diagnostics and forecasting, including IMF-certified programmes in macroeconomic analysis and econometric modelling.
Dr. Olanubi is a vibrant voice in public economic discussions, extending her expertise beyond academia and policy. You can catch her enlightening appearances on platforms like News Central, Arise News, Channels TV, BusinessDay TV, and AIT, where she passionately shares her insights on macroeconomic trends and policy developments.
Dr Olanubi is a Full Member of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) and a Member of the Nigerian Association of Macroeconomic Modellers (NAMM).
Dr Olanubi’s work is driven by a commitment to strengthening institutions, improving policy outcomes, and supporting sustainable economic transformation in developing economies.
