The Kaduna State Government has appointed Prof. Rajneesh Narula as a Consultant and Policy Adviser to the Planning and Budget Commission, where he will help in making the State Development Plan operational.
Prof Narula will also provide guidance on Sector Implementation Strategies, updating the State Industrial Plan, and providing implementation strategies including stepping these policies down to the Local Governments via the State Economic Planning Board.
A statement from the Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye on Friday disclosed that Prof. Narula is the John H. Dunning Chair of International Business Regulation at the Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK, and Director of the Dunning Africa Centre in South Africa.
The statement said that the new Policy Adviser attended ‘’ Barewa College, Zaria, before graduating with a first degree in Engineering from the Ahmadu Bello University. ‘’
According to Adekeye, Narula ‘’also has an MBA and a doctorate from Rutgers University, USA. Before academia, Professor Narula worked as an Engineer at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Nigeria, and later as a Planning Analyst at IBM Asia/Pacific Headquarters in Hong Kong.’’
The Special Adviser said that Narula’s ‘’ research and consulting have focused on the role of foreign investment and global supply chains in development, development and industrial policy, technology alliances and outsourcing.”
Prof Narula has over 150 publications on these themes, he said, adding that ‘’he regularly acts as a consultant and advisor to the European Commission, UNIDO, UNCTAD, OECD, World Bank, as well as a variety of other international organisations, national governments, and consulting firms.’’
‘’He has been involved in advisory activities in Tanzania, Uganda, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Russia, India, Qatar, UAE, Senegal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, in addition to almost all the countries in Europe,’’ the statement added.
According to Adekeye, ‘Prof. Narula is one of the top 20 most cited academic authors worldwide in the fields of international business, emerging markets, and economic development.’’
‘’ In 2017, he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his services to Business Research. He holds honorary appointments at United Nations University-MERIT, Oxford University, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Urbino,’’ he said.
