Prior, he was Chief Economist and Head of the Strategy and Analysis Team for United Nations Development Programme’s Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA), where he coordinated economic, social and environmental dimensions of development in Africa. He led the preparation of regional flagship reports for RBA, including the Africa Human Development Report, the African Economic Outlook, Africa MDG/SDGs progress reports and the book Income Inequality Trends in sub-Saharan Africa: Divergence, Determinants, and Consequences (which he co-edited) as well as strategic policy notes and occasional policy papers in such areas as fiscal space, youth employment, value chain development, renewable energy, and climate change. Dr. Odusola provides intellectual leadership to SDG acceleration frameworks in sub-Saharan Africa, managing the network of Senior Economists in UNDP Africa Country Offices and providing strategic advice on policy matters to the RBA Director. 

As an economist, Dr. Odusola focuses on dynamics of macroeconomics and development economics pertaining to the African continent. In addition to being an African Visiting Scholar to the IMF in 2002, Dr Odusola had served as a consultant to many international organizations like the World Bank, UNICEF, WHO, the World Institute of Development Economic Research (WIDER), the Global Development Network (GDN), the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) and the West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management. 

Dr. Odusola is a Nigerian national and holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.