The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has appointed Professor Kehinde (Kenny) Olufunso Ogunjobi as Country Representative for Ghana. In this new role, he will spearhead IWMI’s strategic research-for-development and policy engagements across the West and Central Africa sub-region, working closely with governments, civil society and international partners to advance water security, climate resilience and sustainable development.
A seasoned climate scientist and development leader with more than 20 years of experience, Ogunjobi brings deep expertise in applied research, policy and capacity strengthening across West and Central Africa. Before joining IWMI, he served as Director of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) and Deputy Executive Director of WASCAL, leading interdisciplinary programs in climate science, water management, renewable energy and sustainable development.
He began his academic career at Nigeria’s Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), where he led the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science and the West African Climate Systems Graduate Programme and trained over 600 young scientists while promoting gender inclusion. He has also established regional platforms for hydroclimatic data and forged extensive collaborations with governments, universities and international partners.
Ogunjobi holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea. He is a Fellow of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in hydroclimatic modelling, climate adaptation, renewable energy and data-driven resilience.
“I am honored to join IWMI in this leadership role and to collaborate with colleagues and partners in Ghana and across West and Central Africa to co-create solutions that strengthen water security, build climate resilience and promote inclusive sustainable development,” Ogunjobi said.
Ogunjobi’s appointment reinforces IWMI’s commitment to delivering research-for-development solutions that respond to the region’s pressing water and climate challenges, while deepening partnerships with governments, academic institutions, civil society and development agencies.
