President Bola Tinubu has named Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as the new Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), replacing Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who stepped down to pursue an elective position in his home state.
The appointment takes immediate effect, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“This appointment is with immediate effect,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Sunday titled ‘President Tinubu Appoints Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters – House of Representatives’.
The Presidency described Olanrewaju-Smart, 40, as a seasoned legislative expert with an extensive academic background in governance and public policy.
His educational qualifications include a doctorate in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, where he was an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, as well as a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations.
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He also completed the LEAPS Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where his work centred on artificial intelligence and civic technology.
Highlighting his legislative experience, the Presidency noted that Olanrewaju-Smart rose through several key positions within the National Assembly, beginning as a Research and Media Assistant to the Minority/Majority Leader in the House of Representatives during the 7th and 8th Assemblies before serving as Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and later Chief of Staff to the Speaker in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.
“His National Assembly career spans Research and Media Assistant to the Minority/Majority Leader, House of Representatives (7th–8th Assemblies), to Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff, and ultimately the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.
Olanrewaju-Smart later joined the Presidency in October 2023 as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he held until this new appointment.
“His public policy research portfolio includes work on several landmark legislations, such as the Interest-Free Student Loan Act, among others,” the statement read.
The Presidency expressed confidence that Olanrewaju-Smart would leverage his experience, academic expertise and dedication to improve legislative engagement and strengthen collaboration between the Presidency, ministries, departments and agencies, and the House of Representatives.