Pius Olakunle Osunyikanmi

Pius Olakunle Osunyikanmi is a former Director General of Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (also known as Directorate of Technical Aid Corps), from August 15, 2013 to August 22, 2023.

Pius Olakunle Osunyikanmi
Director General, Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (also known as Directorate of Technical Aid Corps), Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office
August 15, 2013 – 22 August, 2023
Preceded byAmbassador Mamman Daura
Succeeded byRt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub
Special Adviser to President on International Relations
In office
2011–2013
Ondo State Commissioner of Education
In office
2010–2011
GovernorOlusegun Mimiko
Preceded byAdenike Fatogun
Personal details
BornAugust 3, 1971
Ile Oluji, Ondo State, Nigeria
Political partyAll Progressive Congress (APC)
Alma materOndo State University, University of Ibadan, Adekunle Ajasin University

He was first appointed by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2013 and re-appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.[1][2]

Technical Aid Corps is a Nigerian federal government agency responsible for the sharing of Nigeria's know-how and expertise with other African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP).[3][4][5][6]

Early life and education

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Pius Osunyikanmi was born on 3 August 1971, to the family of Pa Christopher Kehinde Osunyikanmi and Madam Esther Osunyikanmi in Ile Oluji, Ondo State. He graduated from Orere Grammar School, Ile Oluji, Ondo State in 1989. He went on to Ondo State University, now Ekiti State University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science in 1997.

He holds Masters and Doctorate degrees in Political Science from the University of Ibadan in 2001 and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in 2008 respectively.[7][8]

Family

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Pius is married to Adebukola, a professor of political science and he has three children.[9]

Political career

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Osunyikanmi was appointed the Special Adviser on International Relations to Nigeria's President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2011 and he served between July 2011 and August 2013.[10][11][12]

He was Ondo State Commissioner of Education from June 2010 to July 2011.[13]

As Commissioner of Education, he established and implemented the Education Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA) which addressed the falling standard of education in the state which led him to order the closure of some private schools over poor standards and facilities.[14][15]

Before serving as Commissioner of education, Osunyikanmi had served as the special adviser to the Governor of Ondo State on Intergovernmental affairs and multilateral relations between March 2009 and June 2010, Special Assistant to the Minister, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (2005 - 2006), Special Assistant to the Secretary of Government, Ondo State (2003 - 2005) and Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Health, Ondo State (1999 - 2002).[16][17]

He was at some point interested in running for the governorship of Ondo state and was among those nominated by a youth group to succeed Olusegun Mimiko[18][19] but defected from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015 when he could not get Olusegun Mimiko to support his ambition after the latter threw his weight behind his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede to succeed him as Governor.[20][21][22][23]

Shortly before his defection from the PDP, he had publicly disowned Olusegun Mimiko who he served under as Commissioner for Education, Special Adviser On Intergovernmental Affairs and Multilateral relations, and Special Assistant due to political differences.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Buhari appoints heads of 4 Agencies". Nigerian Tribune
  2. ^ "Jonathan appoints Pius Osunyikanmi as DG TAC". Premium Times
  3. ^ "Nigerian Initiative on Man Power: Through the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC)". Guardian.
  4. ^ "Technical Aid Corps DG hails buhari's vision". The Nation
  5. ^ "Osunyikanmi tasks Ondo electorate on next governor". The Guardian
  6. ^ "Jonathan appoints Pius Osunyikanmi as DG TAC". premium Times
  7. ^ "Directorate of Technical Aid Corps". www.dtac.gov.ng.
  8. ^ "Alumni - Adekunle Ajasin University". alumni.aaua.edu.ng.
  9. ^ "AAUA Staff Directory". www.aaua.edu.ng.
  10. ^ "Jonathan's special advisers and portfolios". The Nation
  11. ^ "Jonathan swears in 13 special advisers".Vanguard News
  12. ^ "Jonathan swears in 20 aides". Sahara Reporters
  13. ^ "Directorate of Technical Aid Corps". www.dtac.gov.ng.
  14. ^ "Mimiko to restore education's lost glory". Vanguard News
  15. ^ "Ondo Shuts private school over poor facilities". Vanguard News
  16. ^ "Pius Osunyikanmi Named DG Technical Aid Corps". The Will
  17. ^ "Mimiko's men dump PDP for APC". The Nation
  18. ^ "Mimiko's entrant into the PDP;the chances of Governorship aspirants". The Eminentleaders Magazine
  19. ^ "Ondo group nominates four youth politicians to succeed mimiko". The Dailypost
  20. ^ "Ondo 2016:Schemes Over Mimiko's Succession deepens". The Nation
  21. ^ "Ondo 2016:the battle within". The Sun
  22. ^ "Ondo 2016:is Jegede the anointed one". This Day
  23. ^ "Mimiko vs Osunyikanmi: Payback or Betrayal". Nigerian concord
  24. ^ "Mimiko's divided house in Ondo". The Guardian