Profile

John Ifediora is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin System, and currently in the faculty of Economics at American University, Washington, DC. He is an economist and attorney at law with special emphasis on law and Economics, public policy analysis, development economics, and international human rights law. In 2014 he became the Director of the Council on African Security and Development; and has for over thirty years lectured widely in his fields of specialty at various universities in the United States, Europe, and Africa. During this period he also served as a consultant to governments in Africa, and to state governments in the United States. In recent years, he advised the Wisconsin Department of Revenue on its Tax Incidence Study, served as a special consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, advised Illinois State Senate on the economic impact of the state lottery on the economy of Chicago, and provided guidance on public healthcare initiatives at the federal level to various African governments. He is a member of the board of trustees of Dakota Wesleyan University.

Professor Ifediora has authored and co-authored six books, and published articles in economics, International law, and public policy, and is a frequent panelist and speaker at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Washington, DC. He remains very active in development programs in Africa, and has been featured in national and international media such as the BBC, National Public Radio (NPR), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, The Guardian, The Tribune, and The Daily Sun Newspapers.

Education

He earned a B.A. from Dakota Wesleyan University; M.A. from The University of Chicago; M.St. from Oxford; M.S. from Cambridge; Juris Doctor (JD), from University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School; Ph.D. in Development Economics/Applied Economics from University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ph.D. in Economics/Public Policy Analysis from University of Illinois at Chicago; and did his post-graduate studies in economics at the London School of Economics.

Areas Of Expertise

Statistical and Econometric impact studies of public policy
International Law
Development Economics
Law and Economics
Civil and Criminal Defense Counsel

In Popular Media

Professor John Ifediora and Dr. K. I. Kalu discuss Nigeria’s Energy Crisis, Channels Television, August, 2017.
Secretary-General of NATO, Andes Rasmussen on Nigeria Security Issues, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), June, 2016.
Professor John Ifediora On National Security, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), July, 2016.
Pan-African Humanitarian Award for Academic Excellence, November, 2015.
National Public Radio (NPR) to discuss the impact of state lotteries, October, 2015.
BBC debates Nigeria’s readiness to lead Africa; The Guardian, July 24, 2014.
Can Nigeria Sustain its leadership Role in Africa? THISDAY, July 9, 2014.
BBC World Service; Debate on Nigeria’s leadership Role in Africa; June 23, 2014.
Nobel Laureates Sargent And Maskin for Covenant University Economic Conference; The Guardian, May 1, 2014.
Nobel Laureates to Grace Covenant University Conference; THISDAY, April 21, 2014

  • Recent Professional Activities
  • subjectEconomics Faculty, American University, Washington DC (2018 – Present)
  • subjectProfessor of Economics Emeritus, University of Wisconsin System (2018 – Present)
  • subjectMember of Board of Trustees, Dakota Wesleyan University (2018 – Present)
  • subject Director and Editor-in-Chief, Council On African Security And Development (2014 – Present).
  • subject Founder and Director, Mobile Medics For Africa (2004 – Present)
  • subject Advisory panelist to the American Bar Association (2004 –Present)
  • subject Attorney at Law - Admitted to Wisconsin State Bar, June 2003 (2003-Present)
  • subject Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (2003 - 2018)
  • subject Vice-Chair, Faculty Senate, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (2011-2012)
  • subject Economic Consultant, Central Bank of Nigeria (2007)
  • subject Chair, Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1998 –2004)
  • subject Senior Economist, State of Wisconsin Tax-Impact Study (2003 - 2004)
  • subject Director, Center for Applied Public Policy, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (2004)
  • subject Associate Director and Co-Founder, Center for Applied Public Policy (2001-2004)
  • subject Chair, Academic and Institutional Research Committee, UW-Platteville (1998 -2000)
  • subject Associate Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1997-2003)
  • subject Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1989 – 1997)
  • subject Economic Consultant (with Dr. Israelevich), Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (1997)
  • subject Visiting Professor, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, (1997)
  • subject Lecturer, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois, (1986)
  • subject Economist, State of Illinois Senate Committee to study impact of State Lotteries (1984)

Professor John Ifediora and NATO Secretary-General Anders Rasmussen.