Ifeatu (Ify) Oliobi is a senior researcher at Ithaka S+R in the Educational Transformation team, where she leads research and evaluation projects related to postsecondary access and success for underserved students and higher education financing.

Before joining Ithaka S+R, Ify led mixed-methods education research studies as a consultant with the New York City Department of Education and Oxford Policy Management Limited. Ify began her career as an economist in the public sector, analyzing financial markets data to inform monetary policy decisions at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Subsequently, she supported the budget process and public financial management reforms while serving as an Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Fellow and public finance advisor at the South Sudan Ministry of Finance.

Ify earned a PhD in economics and education from Columbia University where her research focused on access to education and labor market opportunities in low- and middle-income countries. She also holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Warwick and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Covenant University.