Emilien Akotenou

Welcome!

I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at the University of Oklahoma Department of Economics, expected 2027.

I am an applied microeconomist with interests in development economics, digital economics, conflict, and inequality.

My primary research interest examines how digital infrastructure and armed conflict shape the economic lives of young people in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on employment, fertility, and human capital accumulation. Additionally, I study inequality of opportunity in adolescent development and the role of gender norms in Ethiopia. Before my doctoral studies, I worked as a Research Assistant and Field Coordinator with the World Bank (DIME), the Center for Evaluation and Development (C4ED), and the Institute for Economic Research in Political Economy (IREEP) in Benin. I hold an M.A. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in Mathematics, Economics and Statistics from the African School of Economics.