President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), replacing Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who resigned to contest for an elective position in his home state.
The appointment was announced in a statement on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Olanrewaju-Smart previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he assumed in October 2023 before his latest appointment.
The Presidency described the 40-year-old as “an accomplished scholar and public policy expert” with extensive experience in legislative affairs and public policy.
His career in the National Assembly includes serving as Research and Media Assistant to the Minority and Majority Leader in the House of Representatives during the 7th and 8th Assemblies. He later became Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and eventually Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.
The statement added that Olanrewaju-Smart holds a PhD in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and is an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He was also a LEAPS Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), holds a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations and served as a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States.
His public policy research portfolio includes contributions to several legislations, including the Interest-Free Student Loan Act.
President Tinubu expressed confidence in the new appointee’s ability to strengthen engagement between the executive and the legislature.
“President Tinubu is confident that Olanrewaju-Smart will use his experience, intellect, and commitment to strengthening legislative coordination and relations between the Presidency, MDAs and the House of Representatives.”
The Presidency said the appointment takes immediate effect.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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