Page content Home South Africa Our Team Our Team South Africa Resident Representative Dr Ayodele Odusola Dr Odusola provides leadership and is accountable for harnessing and directing the full potential of UNDP’s global capabilities, and programmes, in support of South Africa’s development strategies and collaborative partnerships. Prior to this current assignment, he was Chief Economist and Head of the Strategy and Analysis Team for UNDP’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, as well as strategic policy notes and occasional policy papers in areas such 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 the dynamics of macroeconomics and development economics pertaining to the African continent. Dr Odusola had served as a consultant to many international organizations like the World Bank, UNICEF, WHO, the World Institute of Development Economics Research (WIDER), the Global Development Network (GDN), the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) and the West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Deputy Resident Representative Mr Gabriel Dava Mr Dava is responsible for the oversight of the Country Office Programmes and Operations. He has worked for UNDP for more than 12 years in different capacities where he has been involved in the formulation and implementation of innovative programmes and projects that are strategically responsive to the country's development challenges, taking a lead in ensuring full accountability in their implementation. Prior to the assignment in South Africa, Gabriel worked as DRR in Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and São Tome and Principe. Before that, he also worked for the UNDP country office in Mozambique as Head of the Poverty Reduction Unit. Gabriel also worked for the Canadian International Development Agency for 10 years and as Senior Officer of the Government of Mozambique Ministry of Social Action for 6 years. Mr Dava holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Administration and Business Management from the University of Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique, a Master of Science Degree in Development Finance from the University of London-School of African and Oriental Studies. Press Releases 5th Global Biodiversity Finance Conference in Cape Town Highlights New Opportunities to Finance Conservation Read more News MEDIA ADVISORY - 5th BIOFIN Global Conference on New Opportunities to Finance Conservation Read more News SADC parliamentarians discuss the harms of ‘conversion’ practices in Africa Read more Press Releases Olwandle High School in Port Shepstone gets a new computer lab Read more News African leaders to convene to promote high-level support for social entrepreneurship and a Just Energy Transition for climate action Read more Press Releases Leapfrogging South Africa’s markets to high-efficiency LED lighting and high-efficiency distribution transformers Read more View More