President Bola Tinubu has appointed Wasiu Olanrewaju Smart as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), following the resignation of Ibrahim Olanrewaju.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was announced in a statement issued by the Presidency and signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Ibrahim Olanrewaju stepped down from the position to pursue an elective political office in his home state.
Before his new appointment, Olanrewaju Smart served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he held from October 2023.
The Presidency described the 40-year-old appointee as a policy expert with extensive legislative experience. He holds a PhD in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations.
He is also an Edward S. Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, a LEAPS Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and previously served as a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where he focused on artificial intelligence and civic technology.
Olanrewaju Smart has built an extensive career within the National Assembly, serving in various capacities, including Research and Media Assistant to both the Minority and Majority Leaders during the Seventh and Eighth National Assemblies.
He later held senior positions in the Office of the Speaker, serving as Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and subsequently Chief of Staff during the Ninth and Tenth National Assemblies.
According to the Presidency, he also contributed to the development of several major public policy initiatives, including the Student Loan Act and other legislative reforms.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that Olanrewaju Smart would use his legislative experience and policy expertise to strengthen coordination between the Presidency, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and the House of Representatives.