Prior to joining the Foundation Dayo worked for the British Council, Abuja, as Output Manager (Economic and Natural Resources) for the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Program, a five-year initiative to mitigate drivers of conflict in Nigeria. He was Economic Governance Program Manager for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa in Dakar, Senegal, and Senior Program Officer at the Civil Liberties Organization in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dayo received a Master of Arts in Development Studies with a major in Public Policy and Management from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. He received a Master in Business Administration degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun state, Nigeria and a Higher Diploma from the Lagos State Polytechnic in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.