In a bid to position the administration for excellent service delivery, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has appointed eight Special Advisers, to play some strategic roles in the government.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the new Special Advisers are:
- Mr Niyi Adebayo (Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management)
- Mrs Tayo Adeola (Investment, Trade and Idustry)
- Mr Ebenezer Boluwade (Agriculture and Food Security)
- Dr (Mrs) Kofoworola Olabimpe Aderiye ( Education, Science and Technology)
- Chief Jide Awe (Political and Inter Party Affairs)
- Architect Tope Ogunleye (Bureau of Special Projects)
- Mr Seun Fakuade (Governance, Reforms and Innovation)
- Mr Yinka Oyebode (Media and Strategy/ CPS)
Governor Oyebanji also urged the new appointees to see their appointments as an opportunity to contribute their time, talent and expertise to the overall development of the State.
Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd) who served as Security Adviser to former Governor Kayode Fayemi has been re-appointed by Governor Oyebanji with immediate effect.
PROFILES OF THE NEWLY APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVISERS
NIYI ADEBAYO:
A chartered accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) has about 30 years experience in banking and financial management. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Resources Management from the University of Ibadan and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from same institution. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) (specialising in Finance and Strategic Management) from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
He began his working career with Arthur Andersen, Lagos, where he joined as an Accountant in 1992 and rose to become a Manager before he left the company in 2000. Between 2000 and 2014, Adebayo held different positions in some banking institutions including, Merrill Lynch, Los Angeles, USA. He was Chief Financial Officer and Head of SME and Special Projects at Wema Bank Plc, between 2003 and 2004. He was Head of Strategy at UBA Plc and later served as a Regional Director (Marketing and Sales) of the Bank, between 2004 and 2008. He was General Manager and Head of Retail Sales and Distribution at First City Monument Bank Plc between 2008 and 2009. He was Executive Director (Corporate Banking, (South) at Enterprise Bank Limited (now part of Heritage Bank) between 2011 and 2014.
The Usi Ekiti born Adebayo, was until his appointment, the Chief Executive Officer, BODANI Advisory Resources Limited.
BOLUWADE EBENEZER:
An alumnus of Lagos Business School, Victoria Island, Lagos, has an extensive working experience in banking and agribusiness. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture form the University of Ilorin (2002) where he was the Best Graduating Student of his department. He also has a Masters degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan (2007).
He started his working career as Project Supervisor, Yobe State Agric Development Programme in 2002. He later joined Oceanic Bank in 2004, where he held different positions till 2011. He joined Sterling Bank in 2011 and served at different times as Head of Agric Finance, Agribusiness Strategy and Planning. He also worked with NIRSAL in the implementation of CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme.
Before his appointment, the Emure-Ekiti born Agric Expert was Agricultural Specialist at the US Mission in Nigeria.
OMOTAYO ADEOLA:
An Investment Banker with over 30 years cognate experience in originating, structuring and executing complex transactions, Treasury Management, Securities Trading, Business Development, Risk Management, Asset and Wealth Management. She holds a degree in Economics from the Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University) and a master’s degree in banking and Finance from the university of Lagos. She has professional capital market qualification in Securities Trading and as Associate- Chartered Institute of Stckbroking; and general management trainings at Lagos Business School, Dublin Business School, University of Witwatersrand, National University of Singapore and Harvard Law School.
Mrs Adeola began her career with Icon Limited (Merchant bankers) in 1991 and joined Consolidated Discounts Limited in 1996 as a pioneer security dealer and managed assets in excess of $1.2 billion. She later served as a divisional Director(business development ) at Consolidated Discounts Limited; Managing Director of Capital Express assets and Trust Limited and Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International where she managed assets in excess of $50 billion.
She founded Restorium Capital Limited, an Africa-focused financial advisory and project financing/capital raising firm based in Dublin, Ireland and Lagos. Mrs Adeola hails from Ado-Ekiti.
SEUN FAKUADE:
Fakuade, 39, worked with the Government of Ekiti State as Senior Special Assistant (Policy, Research & Documentation) to former Governor Kayode Fayemi. He has extensive experience in public policy, strategic planning, project management, technology and innovation, policy communications, and infrastructure development.
Under Dr. Fayemi, Fakuade conceptualised and designed public sector innovation frameworks that can improve government efficiency through digital technology innovation including Citizen/Resident Innovation Management Project, a Digital Ekiti Initiative concept plan and kick started e-governance solution projects including digitization and archiving. In addition, he also worked as Project Coordinator/Lead Project Implementation Unit of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (where he worked with the AfDB in the project preparation pre-feasibility and design of the EKZ), Project Supervisor of the EKSG Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project; served as a member of the Technical Committee for GRID3, Member of LAMP.
Fakuade had previously worked as Public Policy Strategist, Lead Economist and Governance Specialist at Brice & Quade, an economic intelligence and risk management research firm in Abuja and was Principal Partner and Lead Creative at Bedazzle Media (a Creative and Ad agency leveraging creative tools for public communications).
Born in Oye Ekiti, Fakuade obtained a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy where his main specialisation centres on creating economic centres of prosperity through Clusters and Economic Competitiveness with focus on innovation, skills development, economic empowerment and job creations programmes, social inclusions and gender integration..
OLAYINKA OYEBODE:
Journalist, Media Manager and Strategic Communications Specialist with extensive experience in reputation management, policy communication and publishing is currently the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ekiti State. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in English and Literary Studies from Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (Now Ekiti State University). Oyebode received specialised trainings in the fields of Journalism, Conflict Management and Corporate Communications in many renowned institutions including the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ), Berlin, Germany; where he got the German Government scholarship to study Political Reporting and Policy Investigation in 2009; Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Schlaining, Austria 2008 and 2012 and the University of Kings College, Halifax, Canada (2015).
Oyebode had stints with the Punch Newspaper, as a Senior Correspondent in 2001 and rose to the position of Assistant Editor in 2008. He later worked as an Assistant Editor (Politics) with the Nation Newspaper between 2009 and 2010, before joining the Government of Ekiti State as Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor in December 2010. He was appointed Chief Press Secretary to Governor Kayode Fayemi in June 2011.
Between 2015 and 2018, Oyebode served as Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, where he coordinated the production of the weekly Television programme: Mining in Nigeria, which ran on Channels Television and NTA network. He also edited the quarterly magazine of the ministry: Mining in Nigeria. He was appointed Chief Press Secretary to Governor Fayemi in his second term between 2018 and 2022. He got re-appointed as CPS by Governor Biodun Oyebanji on October 16, 2022.
The Ido-Ile-Ekiti born Journalist has covered elections in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA, Germany and Canada. He served as a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Presidential convention in 2015.
DR (MRS) KOFOWOROLA OLABIMPE ADERIYE, mni
A seasoned administrator, retired Permanent Secretary and former Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr Aderiye has over 40 years experience in administration and education management. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan (1979); Master in Public Administration (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, (1995) and Master of Science (M. Sc.) degree in Political Science from the University of Ado-Ekiti (2003). She bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) degree in Political Science from same university in 2017.
Dr Aderiye joined the services of the Ondo State Civil Service as an Information Officer on 21st July, 1980 and was transferred to Ekiti when the state was created on 1st October 1996. She held different positions in different ministries before her elevation as a Permanent Secretary in 2008. She served as Technical Adviser, Education, Ekiti State between 1st April 2019 and 30th August 2020.
She is a fellow of both the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (FIPAN), and Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria (FCILGPAN).
ARC TEMITOPE OGUNLEYE:
An Architectural Consultant and Project Manager of repute, Tope Ogunleye was Special Adviser, Bureau of Special Projects, Ekiti State, between 2019 and 2022. Prior to that, he was Managing Partner at Onestream Consultants Limited, Lagos. He holds Bachelors of Science and Masters of Architecture (M.Arch) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and was the Best Graduating Student in his Masters’ class.
The Ado-Ekiti born Ogunleye started his career as an Architect at the ministry of Housing, Asaba, delta State during his national Youth Service in 2006. He joined Adeniyi Coker Consultants Limited as an Architect in 2007 and rose to the position of Senior Architect in 2010.
CHIEF JIDE AWE
A former students union leader, political strategist and veteran of many political struggles, Chief Jide Awe, is a former Chairman of the Ekiti State Chapter of Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and later became the pioneer Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, serving about 12 years as state chairman of the party.
A graduate of Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (now Ekiti State University). He has served on the board of many institutions and companies including Nigerite Plc.
The Erinjiyan-Ekiti born, traditional chieftaincy title holder and astute grassroots mobiliser started his public service as a Councillor between 1991 and 1993.