Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, a prominent Nigerian lawyer and politician, currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, a position he has held since June 2023. His appointment to this pivotal role within the presidency marked the latest chapter in a distinguished public service career that has spanned over two decades.
Born on 25 June 1962 in Lagos State, Gbajabiamila’s educational background laid a strong foundation for his future endeavours. He attended Igbobi College in Lagos before proceeding to King William’s College on the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom for his advanced level studies. He returned to Nigeria to earn a Bachelor of Laws degree with honours from the University of Lagos in 1983 and was called to the Nigerian Bar the following year.
His pursuit of legal expertise later took him to the United States, where he obtained a Juris Doctor degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude, from the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. After passing the Georgia Bar examination, he established a successful law practice in Atlanta before returning to Nigeria to fully engage in partisan politics.
Gbajabiamila’s political career began in earnest when he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 to represent the Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos State. This victory was the start of an unprecedented six consecutive terms in the lower chamber, a testament to his enduring popularity and effectiveness as a representative.
Throughout his two decades in the legislature, he steadily rose through the ranks, holding key positions such as Minority Leader and, later, Majority Leader, demonstrating his ability to navigate the complexities of parliamentary politics. One of his most notable early actions was his prominent role as a leader of the opposition to the third term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a stance that significantly raised his national profile.
In 2019, Gbajabiamila achieved the zenith of his legislative career when he was elected as the 14th Speaker of the House of Representatives, winning with a substantial majority. As Speaker, he was known for his commitment to fostering a unified house and ensuring that the legislative arm worked in concert with the executive for national development.
His tenure was marked by the passage of several landmark pieces of legislation. He was a prolific sponsor of bills, with perhaps his most significant legacy being the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act. First introduced in 2016 and eventually signed into law in 2023, this Act established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, providing interest-free loans to indigent students in public tertiary institutions and fundamentally changing the educational landscape for countless Nigerians.
Beyond education, his legislative impact extended to areas such as economic stimulus during the COVID-19 pandemic, electoral reform, and the petroleum industry, contributing to critical institutional reforms. Colleagues and observers have described his speakership as one of the most effective in Nigeria’s modern history, praising his leadership skills, deep understanding of legislative process, and ability to build consensus.
After twenty years in the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila resigned his seat in June 2023 to assume the role of Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Reflecting on the transition from leading 359 other lawmakers to serving directly under a president, he has described the role as uniquely challenging, noting the loss of personal freedom and the immense responsibility of helping to address the needs of over 200 million Nigerians.
He has also attended various leadership development courses at prestigious international institutions, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard Kennedy School, which have informed his approach to governance. Married to Salamatu Gbajabiamila, he continues to be a central figure in Nigerian politics, with his extensive experience and legislative acumen now being deployed in the service of the executive branch.
