Obiageli "Oby" Ezekwesili is the Vice President of the World Bank's Africa division. She began her career as an auditor and management consultant, where she focused on financial planning, SME financing, audit and regulatory compliance. From 1994 to 1999, she served as one of the founding members of Transparency International where she held the position Director, Africa. In 2000, Oby went on to serve as Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Budget Monitoring, and the Price Intelligence Unit, where she spear-headed institutional reforms through the establishment of due process mechanisms and strategies.
Oby subsequently served as Minister of Solid Minerals Development, with emphasis on reforming Nigeria's mining sector to internationally recognized standards, especially in the area of policy transparency, with the purpose of increasing levels of global investment, and investor confidence, in the sector.
Oby has also served as the Chairperson for the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative since 2004 and pioneered the voluntary sign-on of Nigeria to the EITI Principles, as well as the first ever audit of the oil and gas sector.
Oby holds a Masters in International Law & Diplomacy from University of Lagos, along with a Masters of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard. She is also a chartered accountant.
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