Oyebola Okunogbe works as an Economist in the World Bank Development Research Group, with a focus on topics in the intersection of development economics, public finance and political economy. She is also affiliated with the Bureau of Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD), Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), and the Nigerian Tax Research Network.
She explores different aspects of the relationship between the state and citizens, and implications for economic development in low-income countries. One major strand of her research is taxation. She is interested in understanding determinants of tax compliance in contexts with limited state capacity. She also examines how increased use of technology affects tax systems. On the expenditure side, she is interested in understanding ways to improve public good provision and service delivery. She also works on other topics such as national identity and inter-ethnic relations, gender, and education.
She received her BA in Economics from Dartmouth College, MPA in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School and PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University.