By Oluwakemi Kindness
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as Special Adviser 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 for an elective office in his home state.
Before his latest appointment, Olanrewaju-Smart served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he held from October 2023.
A public policy expert, he holds a PhD in Educational Management from Lead City University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
He is also an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
His academic background includes a LEAPS Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Professional Diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations and a Policy Fellowship at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where he focused on artificial intelligence and civic technology.
Olanrewaju-Smart has built an extensive career in the National Assembly.
He served as Research and Media Assistant to the Minority and Majority Leaders in the 7th and 8th House of Representatives before becoming Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and later Chief of Staff to the Speaker during the 9th and 10th Assemblies.
His policy work includes contributions to major legislations, including the Interest-Free Student Loan Act.
President Tinubu said he is confident that Olanrewaju-Smart will leverage his experience and expertise to strengthen coordination between the Presidency, ministries, departments and agencies, and the House of Representatives.
