Olawale Edun, known as Wale Edun, is a renowned Nigerian banker, economist, and government official. Currently, he holds the position of Special Adviser on Monetary Policies to President Bola Tinubu, a role he assumed in June 2023. Edun is also recognized for his service as the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State and as the former Chair of Chapel Hill Denham Group, one of Nigeria’s top investment banks.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, on 25th June 1962, Wale Edun’s educational journey started in a local high school in Lagos. He later earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of London and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Sussex in England.
Edun’s impressive career began as an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C. He focused on various African countries and macroeconomic issues. He joined Citibank Nigeria as a senior manager overseeing corporate finance and treasury operations. Edun’s banking career further skyrocketed at First Securities Discount House (FSDH), a Nigerian merchant bank, where he eventually became the Managing Director and CEO.
In 1999, Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu appointed Edun as the Commissioner for Finance, a position he held for two terms until 2007. He introduced reforms and initiatives that significantly improved the state’s fiscal management and revenue generation during his tenure. Notably, Edun also supervised the issuance of the first sub-national bond in Nigeria and Africa by Lagos State in 2001.
After his government service, Edun founded the Chapel Hill Denham Group in 2007, a leading investment banking and asset management firm in Africa. He served as the group’s chair until 2023 when he joined the federal government as the Special Adviser on Monetary Policies to President Bola Tinubu. In this role, Edun advises the president on monetary policy, exchange rate management, inflation control, and financial stability. He is also expected to collaborate with the new Central Bank Governor on reforms for a more efficient and transparent monetary system.
Wale Edun is married to Amy Adwoa Edun, a British actress and singer of Ghanaian origin. She is best known for her role as Guinevere “Gwen” Pendragon in the BBC fantasy series Merlin. The couple has three children. Edun is a devout Muslim who enjoys reading, music, golf, and tennis.
Though Edun comes from a prominent Lagos State family, he has not disclosed much information about his parents or siblings. Despite not revealing his net worth or salary, Edun is estimated to be worth millions of dollars based on his successful career and various properties and assets in Nigeria and abroad.
Edun is active on social media, sharing his views on economic and political issues and his personal life. He has over 10k followers on Instagram (@officialwaleedun) and over 5k followers on Facebook (Wale Edun).
Wale Edun was recently appointed as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
