- Date of Birth:
- 1957-03-08
- Place of Birth:
- Lagos, Nigeria
Oluyemi Oluleke "Yemi" Osinbajo GCON born 8 March 1957, is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who is currently serving as the Vice President of Nigeria, in office since 29 May 2015.
Yemi Osinbajo was born into the family of Opeoluwa Osinbajo on 8 March 1957, Creek Hospital, Lagos. Osinbajo is married to Dolapo (née Soyode) Osinbajo, a granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo. They have three children - two daughters, Damilola, Kanyinsola, and a son, Fiyinfoluwa Osinbajo.
Yemi Osinbajo was educated at Corona primary School, in Lagos. Between 1969 and 1975, he attended Igbobi College Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. where he was the winner of the State Merit Award (1971); the School Prize for English Oratory (1972); Adeoba Prize for English Oratory (1972-1975); Elias Prize for Best Performance in History (WASC, 1973); School Prize for Literature (HSC, 1975); and African Statesman Intercollegiate Best Speaker's Prize (1974).
Thereafter, he studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of Lagos between 1975-1978 when he obtained a Second Class Upper Degree in Law. Here, he also won the Graham-Douglas Prize for Commercial Law.
In 1979, he completed the mandatory one-year professional training at the Nigerian Law School whereon he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of Nigeria's Supreme Court. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics, where he obtained a Master of Laws degree.
From 1979 to 1980, Osinbajo served the compulsory one-year youth service as a legal officer with Bendel Development and Planning Authority (BDPA), Bendel State.
In 1981, he was employed as a law lecturer at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. From 1983 to 1986, he was a Senior lecturer of Law at the University of Lagos. From 1988 to 1992, he was an Adviser (legal advice and litigation) to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola. Osinbajo began lecturing at the age of 23.
From 1997 to 1999 he was made Professor of Law and Head of Department of Public Law, University of Lagos.
From 1999 to 2007, Osinbajo was a Member of Cabinet, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, also Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
In 2007, Osinbajo was made Senior Partner at Simmons Cooper Partners (Barristers and Solicitors), Nigeria.
From 2007 to 2013 Osinbajo was once again employed as a Professor of Law, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos. He was also a Senior lecturer at the Lagos State University.
Other past roles include:
Staff Member, United Nations Operations in Somalia, Justice Division, UNOSOM II.
Member, United Nations Secretary General's Committee of Experts on Conduct and Discipline of UN, Peacekeeping Personnel around the globe, Member, 2006.
Partner in Law Firm of Osinbajo, Kukoyi & Adokpaye.
Yemi Osinbajo is the Pastor in charge of the Lagos Province 48 (Olive Tree provincial headquarters) of The Redeemed Christian Church of God.
All Progressive People's Party
After the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, Yemi was tasked, with other notable Nigerians, to design and produce a manifesto for the new political party. This culminated in the presentation of the "Roadmap to a New Nigeria", a document published by APC as its manifesto if elected to power.
The highlights of the Roadmap included a free schools meal plan, a conditional cash transfer to the 25 million poorest Nigerians if they enroll children in school and immunize them. There were also a number of programs designed to create economic opportunities for Nigeria's massive youth population.
On 17 December 2014 the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, retired General Muhammadu Buhari, announced Osinbajo as his running mate and vice-presidential candidate for the 2015 general elections.
During the 2014/2015 campaigns of the All progressives Congress, Yemi Osinbajo held numerous town hall meetings across the country against the popular rallies that many Nigerians and their politicians were used to. One of his campaign promises, which he has recently reiterated, was the plan to feed a school child a meal per day. Beyond feeding the school children, he has recently emphasized that this plan will create jobs (another campaign promise) for those who will make it happen.
On 31 March 2015 Buhari was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the presidential elections. Thus Osinbajo became the Vice President-elect of Nigeria. They were both sworn in on 29 May 2015. On 17 August 2017 VP Yemi Osibanjo described hate speech as a species of terrorism.
Yemi Osinbajo assumed office after taking the oath of office on 29 May 2015 at Eagle Square, Abuja. As the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is expected to oversee the economic planning team and report, as well as make recommendations, to the president who takes the final decision.
Because of his legal background and antecedents as a commissioner for justice in Lagos state for eight years, many expect that he will contribute a great deal to the much-needed reform of the judicial system at the national level.
President Muhammadu Buhari wrote a written declaration on 9 May 2017 to the president of the senate and house of representatives on his decision to embark on a medical trip, the letter was read on the 9 May 2017 at the plenary of both houses, senate and the house of representatives respectively. Vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was conferred the acting president during President Buhari's medical leave.
On 7 August 2018, Osinbajo fired the State Security Service boss, Lawal Daura for the illegal invasion of the National Assembly by armed and masked operatives of the department. Daura has been replaced with Matthew Seiyefa.
In January 2019, Osinbajo criticized the fact that social media is currently "under multi-jurisdictional regulation". He called for more collaboration among nations to reach a convention to regulate social media and counter hate speech.
On February 2, 2019, Osinbajo's helicopter crashed in Kabba, Kogi State. He survived and delivered a previously-scheduled campaign speech after the crash. In the speech, he said he was "extremely grateful to the Lord for preserving our lives from the incident that just happened. Every one of us is safe and no one is maimed.
On 29 May 2019, Professor Yemi Osinbajo took his oath of office to begin his second term at Eagle Square in the capital of Abuja.
Following the federal government's decision to close the nation's land borders in October 2019, Osinbajo explained that the government did so to gain the attention of other nations to the importance of policing the borders.
He claimed that China and other nations were smuggling in products, including agricultural ones, undermining the Nigerian economy and threatening Nigerian agriculture. By closing the borders, Osinbajo claimed that the government was helping protect the economy and Nigeria's producers and farmers.
In October 2019, Osinbajo criticized the government's proposed social media regulations, stating he did "not think that government. regulation is necessarily the way to go." Instead, he asked citizens to take more active steps to police social media.
He stated that citizens and leaders, both political and religious, "owe a responsibility to our society and to everyone else, to ensure that we don't allow it to become an instrument" of war. He also warned people against using social media to spread "religious disinformation", which could lead to conflict and war.
During a visit on 3 November 2019 to Daura, the Emir of Daura, Faruk Umar, called Osinbajo "the most trustworthy Vice President of Nigeria" and thanked him for his loyalty to President Buhari's administration. The Emir gave him the title of Danmadamin Daura, the highest traditional title in the emirate.
On 31 March 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo to chair an economic sustainability committee. The aim of the committee is to develop measures to cushion the effect of the coronavirus and eventually reposition the Nigerian economy.
In July 2020, his spokesman stated that Osinbajo has become a "political target", and denied his alleged interest in contesting the 2023 presidential election, stating "I’m his spokesperson and all I know he wants to do is to do this job that he has been given very well and he doesn't have any other plans right now about any such thing. I can tell you that clearly."