President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as the new Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).
The appointment takes immediate effect, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Olanrewaju-Smart replaces Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who resigned from the position to contest an elective office in his home state.
“This appointment is with immediate effect,” Onanuga said in the statement titled, “President Tinubu Appoints Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters – House of Representatives.”
The Presidency described the 40-year-old appointee as an experienced legislative and public policy expert.
According to the statement, Olanrewaju-Smart holds a doctorate in Educational Management from Lead City University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
He was also an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and holds a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations.
The Presidency added that he is a LEAPS Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where his work focused on artificial intelligence and civic technology.
Olanrewaju-Smart has built a long career within the National Assembly, serving in several key positions.
The statement read, “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.”
The Presidency said his experience has given him strong knowledge of legislative research, public administration and executive-legislative relations.
Before his latest appointment, Olanrewaju-Smart served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he assumed in October 2023.
“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,” the statement said.
The Presidency also noted that he contributed to the development of several important public policies and laws.
“His public policy research portfolio includes work on several landmark legislations, such as the Interest-Free Student Loan Act, among others,” it added.
The Presidency expressed confidence that Olanrewaju-Smart’s experience and expertise would strengthen the relationship between the executive arm of government and the House of Representatives.
