Dr. Eric Osei-Assibey
Dr. Eric Osei-Assibey is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), where he conducts research into topical national development and macroeconomic issues, and regularly leads discussions with relevant state and non-state actor stakeholders. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Ghana, and also the Acting Head of the Department of Distance Education of the same University. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and a Non-resident Research Fellow at the Commitment to Equity Institute (CEQI), Tulane University, USA.
He holds a PhD in Development Economics from Nagoya University, Japan. He is also a Post-Graduate Scholar at the Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI) at the Brown University, USA, where he studied ‘Development and Inequality in the Global South’. Dr. Osei-Assibey’s research interests are in banking, macroeconomic and fiscal policy issues, poverty and inequality reduction, as well as, trade policy and finance issues. He has published extensively in these areas in highly rated peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of International Development, Journal of Economic Studies, Review of Development Economics, The Development Journal, International Journal of Social Economics, Saving and Development Journal, Journal of Financial Economic Policy, etc. He has also consulted for many international and national organizations including, the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, ECOWAS Commission, GIZ, IDL Group, UK, PwC, IFPRI, USAID, Oxfam, NDPC, MoF, MOTI, GEPA, GSS etc. Dr. Osei-Assibey has also attended and presented papers in several high profile international and domestic conferences and Workshops.
Prof. John Asafu-Adjaye
Prof. John Asafu-Adjaye is a Senior Research Fellow at the IEA and a formerly lecturer in the School of Economics at the University of Queensland, Australia. At the IEA, Prof. Asafu-Adjaye has contributed to the Institute’s work on the oil and gas sector. He led the team that produced the IEA’s P-TRAC Index Report that tracked progress in transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. He is a one-time editor of the Ghana Policy Journal, published by the IEA.
From 2012, Prof. Asafu-Adjaye was the team leader of a 3-year IEA project funded by the Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA) entitled “Options for Managing Climate Variability and Market Risks for Smallholder Maize-Legume Farmers in Northern Ghana”. The project involved collaboration between Ghanaian and Danish scientists and included the training of two PhD students and one Master of Philosophy (MPhil) who were registered at the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
He holds a BSc (Hons) degree from the University of Ghana, an MSc. from the University of Aston, Birmingham, UK and a PhD (Natural Resources and Environmental Economics) from the University of Alberta, Canada.
Dr Michael Ofori-Mensah
Dr. Michael Ofori-Mensah is a Senior Research Fellow and former Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). He was responsible for developing and managing the research work of both the Economics and Governance centres of the IEA. Michael was also a member of the Institute’s management team. After joining the IEA in 2010, he coordinated a broad range of national and international projects – and contributed to several public policy reform initiatives in the area of governance.
Michael has also provided technical support to many key institutions including Ghana’s Parliament, which he advised on legislation such as the Presidential (Transition) Act. In 2011, he was a Member of Ghana’s statutory petroleum revenue oversight body – the Public Interest Accountability Committee. Michael has undertaken research on business, economic and political issues; he has also authored several publications on institutional reform, anti-corruption and public financial management.
Michael has extensive experience in the financial sector having previously worked as an analyst at firms such as Citigroup in the UK and Fidelity Investments in the USA. Michael holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc (Econ) in Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Politics from the University of Kent.
Dr. Samuel Kofi Darkwa
Dr. Samuel Kofi Darkwa is a Governance Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana, a role he has held since 2023. Previously, he served as the Director of Governance and Administration from 2020 to 2023 and as the Finance Manager from 2005 to 2010 at the IEA. Before joining the IEA, he worked with Farmapin Ghana Ltd as the Deputy Finance Manager from 2003 to 2005, contributing to a joint World Bank and USAID project.
Dr. Darkwa’s professional background is diverse and multidisciplinary. He served as an intercollegiate policy debate coach for West Virginia University (WVU) from 2013 to 2015. He has held teaching positions at reputable institutions such as the University of Florida, Gainesville (2013-2016), the University of Wisconsin, Madison (2010-2013), and WVU (2016-2020), all in the United States. He has also contributed to the academic development of students at Albert Academy and Preset Pacesetters in Accra, Ghana, from 2000 to 2003.
His educational achievements include a Ph.D. in Political Science (International Relations and Comparative Politics) from West Virginia University, an M.A. in Linguistics and Literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon. In addition, Dr. Darkwa holds a certified Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Tester certificate from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and hasIntermediate Level Accountancy (Overall Best Candidate at Level 1 – May 2003).
Dr. Darkwa’s research interests are extensive, encompassing electoral politics and democratization, public policy and administration, international development, local government and decentralization, political representation, gender, political communication, and the African diaspora. His research work has been published in reputable peer-reviewed journals, and he has contributed to various scholarly book chapters and book reviews.
His professional expertise also extends to strategic alliance-building and engagement with key stakeholders in global and national policy circles. He is dedicated to pursuing policies that promote good governance, poverty reduction, and the establishment of an enabling business environment for the private sector.
Dr. Darkwa’s core competencies include youth and women empowerment, teaching, research, mentorship, student advising, non-profit management, and strategic alliance. His extensive involvement in numerous projects underscores his commitment to effecting positive change in various spheres.