Dr Adesegun Akin-Olugbade, an international legal and finance expert, has been appointed as a member of the World Trade Board.

Akin-Olugbade, an international counsel at ǼLEX Law Firm, joins 20 other global trade and finance leaders on the board as the first African member.

The Chairman of World Trade Board, Simon Paris said this in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

Paris said that the appointment of the first African into the body comes at a most auspicious time, with the formal inauguration of the operational phase of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

“AfCFTA has established a Continental Free Trade Area for the African continent of 1.2 billion people, with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2.3 trillion dollars.

“With protectionism looming large around the world and ever-increasing regulation throwing up new challenges, global trade is in a state of flux.

“In this unchartered environment, the board’s common vision of collaborative, connected, inclusive trade enabled by the latest business technologies has never been more important.

“We welcome Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade to our cohort as we continue to strive toward driving open trade for the benefit of all,” he said.

According to him, Akin-Olugbade is combining the highest academic qualifications and professional distinctions with excellent legal skills, extensive transactional experience and corporate governance expertise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to Akin-Olugbade joining ǼLEX, he was with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, the Africa Finance Corporation and the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo, Egypt.

The World Trade Board initiated by Finastra is made up of global leaders, innovative thinkers, industry influencers and subject matter experts from different corners of trade, finance and commerce.

Its members are the co-creators of an organisation that has the objective of shaping the future and being an enabling force for global trade inclusion and prosperity.