20 Incredible Facts about late Olusegun Awolowo Jr. you didn’t Know

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Olusegun Awolowo Jr., grandson of Nigeria’s legendary statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was a distinguished lawyer, public servant, and trade advocate whose life bridged politics, law, and economic development.

From overcoming personal tragedy at birth to shaping Nigeria’s export landscape and promoting regional trade, his journey was marked by resilience, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to national progress.

Here are 20 astonishing facts that highlight his remarkable life and enduring legacy.

1. He was born posthumously, arriving two months after his father, Segun Awolowo Sr., died tragically in a 1963 car accident.

2. He carried the name of a father he never met, symbolising both grief and continuity in the Awolowo dynasty.

3. He grew up under the guardianship of his aunt, Mrs Tola Oyediran, daughter of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, giving him intimate exposure to the political legacy of the Awolowo family.

4. He attended primary school with Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, an early link to another influential political family.

5. Awolowo schooled at some of Nigeria’s most prestigious institutions, including Igbobi College and Government College Ibadan.

6. He earned his law degree from Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University, before joining the Nigerian Bar in 1989.

7. He trained at elite law firms, including the chambers of legal luminaries Abayomi Sogbesan and GOK Ajayi.

8. He served two Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as Special Assistant on high-level legal, institutional and administrative matters.

9. Awolowo held major administrative posts in the FCT, serving as Secretary for Social Development and later Secretary of Transport.

10. He returned to law practice after government service, demonstrating a career that moved fluidly between public and private sectors.

11. Awolowo was appointed NEPC Executive Director/CEO twice, by two presidents from different political parties—Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 and Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.

12. He championed Nigeria’s “Zero Oil Plan”, a bold strategy to reduce national dependence on crude oil and grow non-oil exports to earn $30 billion annually.

13. Awolowo helped launch Nigeria’s biggest diversification drive, pushing value-added exports in agriculture, manufacturing, fashion, services, and technology.

14. Under his leadership, NEPC pursued a major partnership with Shoprite, aimed at taking Nigerian products to new African markets.

15. He led the signing of a $1 billion MoU with AFREXIM and NEXIM in 2018 to boost intra-African trade at the first-ever Intra-African Trade Fair.

16. Awolowo became President of ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organisations in 2021, elected unanimously across all member states.

17. He was one of the most influential trade diplomacy figures in West Africa, shaping Nigeria’s export narrative beyond oil.

18. Awolowo belonged to one of Nigeria’s most iconic political families, being the grandson of Chief Obafemi Awolowo—statesman, philosopher, and nationalist.

19. He married into another distinguished family, and raised children who followed impactful paths, his daughter Seun runs a major NGO focused on girl-child education.

20. He lived a life deeply rooted in service, honouring the Awolowo legacy through governance, economic reform, public policy, and international trade advocacy.