Prof. Olayinka David-West

Professor Olayinka David-West is an accomplished academic, information systems specialist and business management expert with over three decades of professional experience spanning information technology, financial services, digital transformation and management education. She currently serves as the Dean of Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, a position she assumed on 1 January 2025. She is the fifth Dean and second female Dean of the institution, bringing extensive experience in academic leadership, technology management and institutional development.
Her professional career began in 1989 in the information technology industry, where she worked in systems administration, database management, software development and research. She gained technical experience in Unix systems administration, Oracle database management, networking and emerging technologies before transitioning into the financial services sector. Her experience in banking technology exposed her to the challenges of aligning information systems with organisational strategy, shaping her subsequent career in management education and applied research.
Professor David-West is a Professor of Information Systems whose research focuses on digital transformation, technology-driven business models, financial inclusion, digital platforms and the governance of information technology. Since 2015, she has led the Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Financial Services (SIDFS) initiative at Lagos Business School, a research and advocacy programme dedicated to improving financial inclusion and advancing digital financial services in Nigeria. Through this initiative, she has supported research, policy engagement and capacity-building programmes involving financial institutions, regulators, technology companies and development organisations.
Her scholarly contributions include research on electronic banking, mobile money adoption, digital financial inclusion and the emerging platform economy in Africa. She has authored and co-authored journal articles, books, teaching cases and research reports, including Retail Electronic Banking Performance and The Rise of African Platforms: A Regional Survey. She has also served as Principal Investigator for Fairwork Nigeria, a research initiative examining working conditions and labour standards within the digital platform economy.
Beyond academia, Professor David-West contributes to corporate governance and financial sector development through several board and advisory appointments. She serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Sterling Bank Limited and Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited and is a member of the Mastercard Policy Centre Advisory Board. She has also served on the Governing Council of the Fintech Association of Nigeria and maintains professional affiliations with the African Women in Finance and Payments and other industry organisations.
In recognition of her contributions to technology and financial inclusion, she has been featured in the Tech Women of Lagos exhibition, identified among the leading women in Nigeria's financial technology industry and profiled by The Fintech Times for her expertise in financial inclusion. She also actively mentors young women pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Professor Olayinka David-West continues to contribute to business education, technology policy and digital economic development in Nigeria and across Africa. Through her leadership at Lagos Business School, she promotes management education, responsible technological innovation and the development of institutions and business leaders equipped to address emerging economic and technological challenges.