By Mercy Aikoye
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as the new Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), in a move aimed at deepening collaboration between the Presidency and the Green Chamber.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, follows the resignation of Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who stepped down to pursue an elective political office in his home state.
Olanrewaju-Smart brings years of legislative and public policy experience to the role, having built a career within the National Assembly before joining the Presidency. Prior to his latest appointment, he served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he assumed in October 2023.
His extensive legislative experience includes serving as Research and Media Assistant to the Minority and Majority Leaders of the House of Representatives during the 7th and 8th National Assemblies. He later rose through the ranks to become Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and eventually Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House in the 9th and 10th Assemblies.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Olanrewaju-Smart as a seasoned scholar and public policy expert with a strong academic background.
He holds a doctorate in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, where he was an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy, and has also completed fellowship programmes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Quantum Alliance AI in the United States. He also possesses a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations.
The statement noted that Olanrewaju-Smart has contributed to the development of several key public policy initiatives, including the Interest-Free Student Loan Act.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that the new presidential adviser would leverage his legislative expertise, policy knowledge and experience to strengthen coordination between the Presidency, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the House of Representatives.
