Babatunde Omilola holds MPhil and DPhil degrees in Development Economics from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, United Kingdom, where he also studied as a Ford Foundation International Fellow. He was an International Graduate Research Fellow of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.Before joining UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), Babatunde Omilola worked with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C., USA, as Coordinator of the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System for Africa.

In the past, Babatunde Omilola worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where he served as the FAO Liason Officer to the African Union Commission (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He provides strategic policy advisory services to several countries and institutions on issues related to poverty reduction, inclusive growth, economic development, development planning, the MDGs, food security, social protection and human development.