September 18, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has heeded the call for the appointment of a Minister of Youth in mind and body by approving the nomination of 37- year-old, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, to serve as the Minister of Youth, and 34-year-old Ayodele Olawande as Minister of State in the same ministry, pending their confirmation by the Senate.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed the appointments on Sunday.
He said Jamila Bio-Ibrahim is a young medical doctor and most recently served as the President of the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF).
“She has also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Olawande is a community development expert and youth leader in the governing All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said, adding , “He most recently served in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.”
“President Tinubu charges the above-mentioned nominees – Jamila Ibrahim and Ayodele Olawande – to ensure that they consistently reflect the dynamism, innovative zeal, and unyielding productivity that are synonymous with the young people of Nigeria as they discharge their duties,” Ngelale added.
Aged 37, Bio-Ibrahim packs quite a commendable CV both from her background and her personal career. Apart from being a medical doctor and development practitioner, she comes from a political family.
Her father, Ibrahim Isa Bio, was a two-time Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Member of the House of Representatives, ex-Minister of Transport under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration as well as Minister of Sports under the succeeding President Goodluck Jonathan government.
She honed her political skills as National President of Young Women Forum of the governing All Progressives Congress, (APC PYWF). She was volunteered for service in the northeast region of Nigeria under The Presidential Committee on the NorthEast initiative and for the campaign team for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the 2019 general election
Before her previous appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she had worked as Senior Special Assistant on Health matters to the Governor of Kwara State.
For Minister of State, Ayodele, commitment to the party both at the grassroots and national levels, earned him the appointment.
At different times, he led as the Youth Coordinator for the APC Lagos State Chapter, Southwest Co-ordinator, Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation, Committee member of Kogi State Governorship Election, 2019 and Deputy Director, Presidential campaign Council Youth Southwest 2023.
Olawande is an old face to the Presidential Villa. Before his nomination as Minister of State for Sports, he had served as Personal Assistant to the Special Adviser on Innovation to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo from 2019 to 2023 .
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