The late Olusegun Awolowo Jr., grandson of the eminent nationalist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, lived a life defined by public service, professional excellence and dedication to national development.
Born on 27 September 1963, Awolowo Jr. entered the world under tragic circumstances, losing his father in a car accident two months before his birth. He was raised by his aunt, Mrs. Tola Oyediran, and her husband, Prof. Kayode Oyediran. He began his education at Mayhill Convent School, where he schooled alongside Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the former Vice President. He later attended Igbobi College, Lagos, and Government College, Ibadan, before earning a law degree from Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989, Awolowo Jr. worked with several law firms before transitioning into public service. He held various roles under the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. In November 2013, he was appointed Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) by President Goodluck Jonathan — a position he retained under President Muhammadu Buhari until 2021.
During his leadership at NEPC, Awolowo championed reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s non-oil export capacity. His flagship initiative, the Zero Oil Plan, sought to reposition the country from reliance on raw materials to value-added exports, with the goal of boosting foreign exchange earnings. In 2018, he facilitated a $1 billion memorandum of understanding involving AFREXIM Bank and the Nigerian Export–Import Bank to enhance intra-African trade. His influence extended regionally, culminating in his election in July 2021 as President of the National Trade Promotion Organisations of ECOWAS member states.
Beyond his public career, Awolowo Jr. was a devoted husband and father. His daughter, Seun, is the founder of Teach-A-Girl Nigeria — an NGO dedicated to girl-child education — and also leads the initiatives Leads Africa and 3D Living Moments.
In tributes, his family described him as a committed public servant and a profound family man, noting that he lived “with purpose, humility and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.”
