President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), replacing Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who resigned to contest an elective position in his home state.

The appointment, announced on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, takes immediate effect.

Before his elevation, Olanrewaju-Smart served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he assumed in October 2023.

A public policy expert and scholar, Olanrewaju-Smart holds a PhD in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, and is an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

He has also been a LEAPS Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), earned a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations, and served as a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where he focused on artificial intelligence and civic technology.

His career in the National Assembly began as a Research and Media Assistant to the Minority and Majority Leaders of the House of Representatives during the 7th and 8th Assemblies.

He later served as Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.

According to the Presidency, Olanrewaju-Smart has contributed to public policy development, including research supporting landmark legislations such as the Interest-Free Student Loan Act.

President Tinubu expressed confidence that the new appointee would leverage his experience and expertise to strengthen legislative coordination and improve relations between the Presidency, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and the House of Representatives.