Adama Coulibaly earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University Panthéon-Sorbonne. He began his career in 1983 as a teacher-researcher at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan and the Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research (CIRES).

In 1990, he was recruited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). After a few years of activity at the representation office in Abidjan, he joined the UNDP office in New York as a senior economist, covering several countries. He was later appointed deputy resident representative with the responsibility of managing the UNDP office in Burundi.

In 2008, Adama Coulibaly assumed the position of country director within the UNDP. In this role, he was responsible for implementing UNDP policies and programs in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In January 2014, Adama Coulibaly returned to Côte d'Ivoire and was appointed the chief of staff for the Minister of Economy and Finance, Kaba Nialé. He held these responsibilities until September 4, 2019, when he was appointed Minister of Economy and Finance. He was reappointed to this position under the Achi government formed on April 6, 20214. Under the Beugré Mambé government, formed on October 17, 2023, he was appointed Minister of Finance and Budget.