Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has joined others in mourning one of its most distinguished Chief Economists, Mr Owodunni Teriba, who died and was buried on Tuesday in Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America.
In a statement by its Communications Section on Tuesday, the United Nations agency lauded Mr Teriba’s contribution to the economic development and growth of the African continent.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 82-year old, who died on Friday in Chicago, was a distinguished Professor of Economics and an accomplished scholar who worked at the ECA in various capacities for 18 years.
He retired in February 1998, after serving as Chief Economist of the Commission and Director of the then Socio-Economic Research and Policy Division (SERPD) under the late Adebayo Adedeji.
Mr Teriba led the development and implementation of several initiatives in support of accelerating Africa’s development, including the African Alternative Framework to Structural Adjustment Programmes for socio-economic recovery and transformation (AAF-SAP).
Executive Secretary of ECA, Vera Songwe, said the work Mr Teriba did for the continent of Africa during his time at the ECA will never be forgotten.
NAN also reports that Mr Teriba first came to the ECA in 1980/81 while he was on sabbatical from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and later in 1985 as the Senior Regional Adviser to Member States of the Commission on economic surveys, research and planning.
He rose to become the ECA’s Chief Economist under Mr Adedeji, the then Executive Secretary of ECA.