Nigerian computer scientist and policy strategist, Chinasa T. Okolo, has been selected as a 2026 World Bank Group Africa Fellow, marking another major step in her growing global career in technology and public policy.
Through the fellowship, Okolo will join the Bank’s Development Economics Research Group, where she will work within the Poverty, Inequality, and Human Development unit. In this role, she will contribute to research that informs the World Development Report, while also helping to develop artificial intelligence models aimed at addressing complex social and economic challenges affecting communities.
Her contributions to the field of AI have earned international recognition. She was named among the world’s most influential figures in artificial intelligence on the TIME 100 AI list and was also featured on the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30 AI List.
Speaking on the opportunity, Okolo said the fellowship has already broadened her professional experience and strengthened her understanding of development challenges beyond the technology sector.
She noted that it also provides a platform to apply her technical background within the spheres of public policy, multilateral cooperation and global development.
