Dr. Soji Adelaja - Honorary Member

Dr. Adesoji Adelaja, is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University (MSU).His parents were two prominent educators, the Venerable Beniah Adelake Adelaja (the late Principal of the CMS Grammar School and former Anglican Archdeacon of Lagos) and Princess Eva Adelaja (an educator, entrepreneur and founder of the Eva Adelaja Grammar School), Dr. Soji Adelaja attended Pennsylvania State University, West Virginia University where he received his M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and also completed his doctoral work earning his Ph.D. in Economics in 1985.

Dr. Adelaja over the years, has worn many hats in various capacities as college professor and adviser to various organizations and governments. Soji served at Rutgers University for 18-years in various capacities, including Assistant Professor at Rutgers University’s Cook College in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (AFRE) and later as full Professor. In 1993, he founded the Rutgers Ecopolicy Center (ECOPOL) and served as its first Director. In 1996, he was appointed Chair of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics (AFRE). Dr. Adelaja also founded the Rutgers Food Policy Institute and served as its first Director.

He served on several New Jersey State commissions and boards, and was an adviser to arms of government, including the offices of Governors Whitman and McGreevy. He received special recognition from former New Jersey Governor, James McGreevy for his contribution to the development of the State of New Jersey. Soji Adelaja retired from Rutgers University in 2004.

In 2004, Soji was appointed the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at Michigan State University. At MSU, he authored the Detroit Marshall Plan, which laid a foundation for the resurgence of the City of Detroit and served as adviser to Governor Jennifer Granholm and to the Midwestern state governors on Green Jobs and the New Economy.

From 2011-2016, Soji took a leave from MSU to assist the Government of Nigeria. He served as a Special Adviser on Economic Intelligence at the Nigerian Presidency. There, he helped develop the economic strategy to counter violent extremism in the area ravaged by Boko Haram, led development of the regional strategic growth plan for the revitalization of Northeast Nigeria.

Dr. Adelaja is the recipient of various awards and recognition, including the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agriculture (2002), the Distinguished Alumnus Award from West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics (2018), the Person of the Year Award from the National Prepared Foods Association, the Outstanding Black Economist Award from the COSBAE branch of the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Davis College of West Virginia University, Scholars, Washington DC, USA, April 2018 to March 2020. He is currently the Chair of the board of Frontier Markets Inc., a private equity fund; Vice Chairman of Chapel Hill Denham Ltd., a leading investment bank in Africa. He also serves on the boards of Venture Garden Group (Mauritius) Ltd., Sweet Sensation Nigeria Ltd, and serves on the Africa Advisory Council of United Way Worldwide. 

A resident of Okemos, MI and Hypoluxo, FL. Soji is married to Frances (Effiom) Adelaja.  They are blessed with three children, Angel (an entrepreneur), Evan II (an economist currently based in London), and Beniah II (an economist based in the city of Chicago).

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