Wale Oluwadare Babalola is a seasoned Finance Officer and Consultant with over a decade of experience in financial management within reputable NGOs in Nigeria. He currently serves as the Finance Officer at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (CentreLSD), where he oversees comprehensive financial operations, including budget forecasting, financial reporting, donor compliance, fund disbursement, procurement oversight, and project financial documentation.
Renowned for his integrity and precision, Wale has successfully managed and implemented over 45 donor-funded projects without a single case of mismanagement. His financial stewardship spans partnerships with major global donors such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID (through PACT Nigeria), British and Australian High Commissions, Canadian Government (DFATD and IRISH Aid), National Endowment for Development (NED), Open Society Foundation (OSF), FORD Foundation, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), African Women Development Fund (AWDF), Christian Aid (CAD), FCDO, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), National Democratic Institute (NDI), Japan Embassy in Nigeria, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Ekiti Development Funds (EDF), and many others.
Prior to Centre LSD, Wale served as Finance Manager for the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Women in Mining Nigeria Initiative (WIMIN), and Abdullahi Omaki Community Peace Initiative Network (AOCPIN). He has also consulted for the Savanna Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy, and Development (SCDDD) and provided financial advisory on World Bank projects through the Ekiti State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
He holds a Higher National Diploma in Banking and Finance from the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Management at Ahmadu Bello University, and is an ICAN student. His professional development includes intensive financial training from IBM-USA, NED, NDI, PACT Nigeria, and ANEEJ — training that has sharpened his financial acumen and elevated his service delivery.
Wale’s dedication to ethical financial practices and his commitment to strengthening development impact through sound fiscal management make him a trusted figure in Nigeria’s nonprofit financial ecosystem.
