Professor Joseph Adelegan is a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer. He earned a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Nigerian Premier University of Ibadan. He is Completing a Second Doctorate, Doctor of Management (DM) Degree at the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio in United States. He is a Member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Environment and Sustainability. He is a Professor of the
Practice of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Venda, South Africa. He was an Ashoka Fellow, an Inventor Greenovation Social Entrepreneur Supported by United States Based Lemelson Foundation, 2006 Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland, 2008 Principal Voices on the “Economics of Energy” by CNN in association with Shell, Times and Fortune Magazine, 2009 Technology Pioneer of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, Switzerland, 2009 Technology Award Laureate of the Technology Museum of Innovation, San Jose, California, USA, 2010 Member of the Clinton Global Initiative. He is an Alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, USA, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA and Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA.
Professor Adelegan has made appearances in international telecast including CNN and BBC. His innovation on climate resilient infrastructure and low carbon pathways has been featured by several international media including Fortune Magazine, Times Magazine, Business week, The Economists, and World Intellectual Property Magazine among others. He represents Africa and the Middle East CSO on the Climate Investment Fund Board in Washington DC, USA. He was an International Observer for ECOWAS at the Board Meetings of the Green Climate Fund in Songdo, South Korea.
He has twenty-seven (27) years of professional experience with the public sector, private sector, civil society, education, research and innovation on economic and social infrastructure – transport, energy, telecommunications, industry, water and sanitation, agriculture, education, health, housing, environment and sustainable development among others. His consulting assignments span the European Union, World Bank, African Development Bank, DFID, ECOWAS, United Nations and Australian Aid among others. He also served as the Project Director for the US$200million World Bank Assisted Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project in Lagos State, Nigeria. He was the CEO of Cows to Kilowatts Partnership Limited, an Infrastructure and Clean Energy Solution Provider with operations across Africa. He is the Founder of the Global Network for Environment and Economic Development Research, an African Frontline Environment and Sustainable Development think tank. He was the Division Chief, Environment and Sustainable Development for ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, Regional Development Financial Institution. He was a Senior Infrastructure Advisor with the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is the Founder of Green Globe SME Funds, a Green Patient-Capital Social Impact Investment Fund with operations across Africa.
He was an Adjunct Faculty of the United Nations University (ILA), Amman, Jordan, United Nations University (INRA), Accra, Ghana and the Nigerian Premier University of Ibadan. He is in great demand and regular speaker at international conferences on climate resilient infrastructure in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and North America spreading over 120 countries. He has over 30 international publications. He was a speaker at high level Government and Business Summits including the 2008 Principal Voices on the “Economics of Energy“ by CNN in association with Shell and Fortune Magazine alongside with the President of Iceland, Olafur Grimmson, 2009 Economist Annual Innovation Summit, London, 2009 MEDays on the invitation of the Government of Morrocco, 2009-2010 OECD Global Forum in Paris, 2011 G-20
Summit in Paris, 2010 to 2013 Global Competitiveness Forum on the invitation of the
Government of Saudi Arabia at Riyadh among others.