Segun Awolowo

Olusegun Awolowo Jr. (born 27 September 1963), is a Nigerian lawyer, he was the executive director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, from 2013 to 2021.[1][2] He is the grandson of former Nigerian nationalist, socialist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.[3] In July 2021, he was unanimously elected as the President of National Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) from ECOWAS member States.[4][5]

Segun Awolowo
LLB
Segun Awolowo
President of National Trade Promotion Organisation
Assumed office
2021
PresidentJean-Claude Brou
Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council
In office
February 2018 – November 2021
PresidentMuhammadu Buhari
In office
November 2013 – November 2017
PresidentGoodluck Jonathan
Muhammadu Buhari
Personal details
Born
Olusegun Awolowo Jr.

(1963-09-27) 27 September 1963
NationalityNigerian
Education
Ogun State University

International School of Geneva

ProfessionLawyer

Early life

Awolowo was born on 27 September 1963, his father (Segun Awolowo Sr.) died in 1963 at age 25 by car accident at the old Ibadan-Lagos road.[6] He was born two months after his father's death,[7] he attended primary school in custody of his aunt, Mrs Tola Oyediran (nee Awolowo) and her husband Prof. Kayode Oyediran. Before then, he lived with his mother alongside his other siblings.[8]

Education

Awolowo started his education at the Mayhill Convent School alongside Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, all in the custody of Prof and Mrs Oyediran. From there, he proceeded to Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos State for his secondary school education and completed his secondary school education at Government College, Ibadan. On completion of his secondary school education, he proceeded to the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago Iwoye and graduated with a LLB degree.[9]

Career

Awolowo worked with the law firm of Abayomi Sogbesan & Co. and also with the law firm of GOK Ajayi & Co. after his call to bar in December 1989. He served in President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration as a Special Assistant on Traditional Institutions, Legal Due Diligence and Legal Matters.[10]
He was appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua as Special Assistant and worked with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Abuja as Secretary for Social Development and Secretary of Transport from 2007 to 2011. After the election of a new government in 2011, he went back to his law practice until in November 2013 when President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him as Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.[11]
In July 2021, he was unanimously elected as the President of National Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) from ECOWAS member States.[12][13]

NEPC

Awolowo was appointed the executive director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013[14][15] and his tenure expired in November 2017 but he was reappointed as executive director and chief executive officer by President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2018 for another four year tenure.[16][17]
In June 2019, the NEPC under his leadership planned a partnership with retail company, Shoprite for the latter to export Nigerian products to other African countries and beyond.[18]

Zero Oil

Awolowo is driving the Zero Oil Plan, as an economic blueprint for Nigeria. It was launched in 2016.[19][20] He has engaged to promote the plan with the private sector, relevant government institutions and international development partners and businesses. Zero Oil is a part of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), a medium term plan developed by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning. His Zero Oil plan is to increase the country's export by increasing production of home made goods, moving from the export of raw materials to value added products so as to increase the foreign exchange revenue, to promote the value of Nigerian made products and services abroad, and to create jobs. It aims at generating $30billion in foreign exchange earnings.[21][22][23][24][25]

MOU between AFREXIM, NEPC and NEXIM

In 2018, he led NEPC signed a Memorandum of understanding worth $1 billion with AFREXIM Bank and Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) at the maiden edition of Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2018) in Cairo, Egypt; which in aimed at promoting trade among African countries.[26][27]

Personal life

Awolowo is married with children. His daughter, Seun is a motivational speaker and runs an NGO called Teach-A-Girl Nigeria, which focuses on Girl Child education in Nigeria. She is also the founder of Leads Africa and 3D Living Moments.[28]

References
  1. Ehikioya, Augustine (26 September 2018). "Buhari greets Awolowo at 55". The Nation Online. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  2. Usigbe, Leon (26 September 2018). "Buhari Greets Awolowo At 55". Tribune. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  3. Babarinsa, Dare (25 November 2015). "The woman who gave us Awolowo". guardian.ng. Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  4. Anonymous (16 July 2021). "Buhari Congratulates Olusegun Awolowo On Election As President Of ECOWAS TPOs". Daily Trust. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. "President Buhari Congratulates Olusegun Awolowo on Election to Lead Trade Promotion Organisations in West Africa". 16 July 2021.
  6. Rilwan (18 July 2018). "Remembering Segun Awolowo". The Nation Newspaper. The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  7. Lasisi, Akeem (25 July 2002). "Nigeria: Battle for Late Sage Obafemi Awolowo's Estate". All Africa. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  8. Aworinde, Tobi (29 July 2018). "Years after dad's death, they would say he had gone to England – Segun Awolowo Snr's daughter, Funke". Punch Nigeria. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  9. Aworinde, Tobi (29 July 2018). "Years after dad's death, they would say he had gone to England – Segun Awolowo Snr's daughter, Funke". Punch Nigeria. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  10. "Olusegun Awolowo | NBASBL Conference 2019 .::. The 13th Annual Business Law Conference". www.nbasblconference.org. Archived from the original on 2019-07-04.
  11. "Olusegun Awolowo - TradewithAfrica".
  12. Anonymous (16 July 2021). "Buhari Congratulates Olusegun Awolowo On Election As President Of ECOWAS TPOs". Daily Trust. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  13. News Agency of Nigeria (16 July 2021). "Buhari congratulates Olusegun Awolowo as he leads ECOWAS TPOs". Pulse. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  14. Owolabi, Femi (4 January 2018). "Segun Awolowo sits tight at NEPC — after expiration of tenure". The Cable. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  15. Owolabi, Femi (9 January 2018). "Segun Awolowo finally returns NEPC official cars but 'backdoor' handover put on hold". The Cable. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  16. Press Release (28 February 2018). "Buhari reappoints Segun Awolowo as NEPC Chief Executive Officer". Premium Times. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  17. Olowolagba, Fikayo (28 February 2018). "Buhari re-appoints Segun Awolowo as NEPC boss". Daily Post. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  18. Iloani, Francis Arinze (20 June 2019). "NEPC will partner Shoprite to boost export of goods – Awolowo". Daily Trust. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  19. Awolowo (20 March 2016). "'Zero oil' plan and an export revolution". Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  20. Okon, Anna (8 July 2018). "NEPC targets $30bn forex with zero-oil scheme". Punch. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  21. Calcuttawala, Zainab (3 October 2017). "Nigeria's "Zero Oil Plan"". oilprice.com. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  22. Okon, Anna (8 July 2018). "NEPC targets $30bn forex with zero-oil scheme". Punch. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  23. "Olusegun Awolowo - TradewithAfrica".
  24. Anonymous (24 September 2018). "Zero-Oil Plan makes some headway, but is far off target". The Economist. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  25. Chibuzor, Oluchi (13 July 2018). "Nigeria: Zero-Oil Plan an Export Revolution, Says Awolowo". allafrica.com. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  26. WFM 91.7 (18 December 2018). "A $1 BILLION FACILITY MOU FOR NIGERIA". WFM 91.7. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  27. Eze, Jonathan (18 December 2018). "Africa: Promoting Intra-African Trade". allafrica.com. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  28. Anonymous (2 March 2019). "Segun Awolowo picks new date for daughter's wedding". Sun Newspaper. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
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