Mr. Alawode is responsible for designing and delivering the Bank’s Work Program in the area of Islamic finance, covering: i) Strengthening the Institutional Foundations of Islamic Finance (e.g. legal, governance, risk management and insolvency standards); ii) Enhancing Regulatory and Supervisory Frameworks for Islamic Financial Institutions; iii) Developing and applying Sharia-compliant financing solutions for key developmental challenges (e.g. infrastructure finance, SME finance, trade finance); and iv) Knowledge generation and dissemination activities to improve the understanding of Islamic finance globally. Since joining the World Bank in 1997 as a Young Professional, Abayomi has worked in various capacities including as Practice Manager (Financial Systems Practice), Lead Financial Sector Specialist (East Asia and Pacific Region) and as Program Leader/Senior Financial Specialist (World Bank Institute). He also served as Adviser, Financial Stability at the Central Bank of Bahrain from 2006 to 2010. Before joining the World Bank, Abayomi was a Lecturer in Economics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (1990-1994) and an Instructor in Development Economics at the University of Cambridge. In addition to Islamic finance, he has strong expertise in financial stability, risk management, financial sector policy and strategy as well as knowledge management/capacity development. A Nigerian national, Abayomi holds a B.Sc and M.Sc (both in Economics) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and an M.Phil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, England. He is the author of several academic papers on monetary and financial sector issues.