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Meet Nigerians Appointed into President Joe Biden’s Cabinet

Published

5 years ago

February 5, 2021

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

President of the United States of America, Joe Biden has been making a number of crucial appointments across races into his cabinet as the world’s biggest democracy rolls out the drums to run a fresh administration.

The 78 years old Democrat, a former senator and Vice President, has reportedly appointed over 100 people among whom are a handful of Nigerians ever since he defeated former President Donald Trump in a much contested November 3, 2020 General Election, and sealed in December 2020 by the electoral college.

The appointment of the Nigerian-born Americans, namely Adewale Adeyemo and Osaremen Okolo, Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo as deputy treasury secretary, COVID-19 advisor and associate counsel respectively, and just recently, Enoh Titilayo Ebong has sent a message of positivity, making the world believe that all hope is not lost about Nigeria.

OSAREMEN OKOLO

Osaremen Okolo, the daughter of Nigerian immigrant, was appointed on Thursday, December 31, as one of the members of the Biden-Harris COVID-19 response team. She was born by Nigerian parents and raised in Massachusetts. She graduated from Harvard College in May 2017. She concentrated primarily in the history of science (medicine and society focus) with an allied, joint concentration in African-American studies. She also obtained a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy.

According to The Street Journal, the Democrat served as a senior health policy adviser to U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. While working for Schakowsky, she drafted, negotiated, and managed the Congresswoman’s legislation, oversight, and policy across comprehensive health care and public health agenda. Outside of all things health, Okolo spends time writing creatively, fanatically cheering on her Boston sports teams and loves Nigerian food.

ADEWALE “Wally” ADEYEMO

Adeyemo has served as the president of the Obama Foundation. He was born in Nigeria and raised in Southern California. Adeyemo received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He joined the Obama Foundation in August 2019 as its first president. An ally of the US former president, Barrack Obama, Adeyemo was the deputy director of the National Economic Council (NEC), the assistant secretary for international markets and development at the treasury department.

Adeyemo is a former senior international economic adviser during the Obama administration, and ihas previously served as the first Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics from 2015-2016, and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

The 39-year-old has also served as the deputy chief of staff of the treasury department in 2012 and chief of staff of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FPB) for 16 months, starting in 2010. Adeyemo worked as an editor at the Hamilton Project.

He later worked as the chief negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and also served as the first chief of staff of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under Elizabeth Warren.

FUNMI OLORUNNIPA BADEJO

Badejo was appointed as one of Biden’s legal advisers at the White House. Funmi, who married another Nigerian Tunde Badejo, is from Kogi State, and she is an alumnus of Berkeley Law College in the United States. Like Okolo, she is the daughter of an immigrant who identified herself with Florida, Funmi was the general counsel of the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis.

Badejo is saddled with the responsibility of advising the president, the executive office of the president, and the White House staff on legal issues pertaining the president and the White House.

Badejo served as ethics counsel in the same office toward the end of the Obama administration.

A Biden-Harris campaign statement described her as follows:

“Her prior government service includes serving as Counsel for policy to the Assistant Attorney-General in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Ethics Counsel at the White House Counsel’s Office and Attorney Advisor at the Administrative Conference of the United States during the Obama-Biden administration,” the statement read.

“Olorunnipa Badejo began her legal career as an associate with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and was Legal Counsel at Palantir Technologies Inc. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Florida. Originally from Florida, Olorunnipa Badejo lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and son.”

ENOH TITILAYO EBONG

Biden also appointed Nigerian-born Enoh Titilayo Ebong as the acting director of the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

“The appointment meant a return to USTDA where from 2004 to 2019, Ms. Ebong had served in a variety of roles, most recently as the Agency’s General Counsel, and Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer,” USTDA said in a statement.“As Acting Director, Ms. Ebong leads an agency that partners with the U.S. private sector to develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in emerging economies, while supporting U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services.”

Ebong had previously served as the head of strategic partnerships at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream.

She is expected to lead the agency in partnering with the country’s private sector in order to develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in emerging economies.

Accepting the appointment, Ebong noted that “It is an honor to return to USTDA.

“The opportunity to lead the Agency comes at a critical moment when the world is turning to the United States for leadership on clean energy and climate-smart infrastructure, as well as safe and secure ICT solutions.”

She also noted that the agency is one of the most effective, targeted and proven tools within the U.S. government.

“I’ve longed believed in USTDA’s mission and program, which are fully aligned with the President’s vision of strengthening the country’s economy and addressing climate as an essential component of American foreign policy and national security,” Ebong said.

Ebong grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. Her father, Ime James Ebong, was a Nigerian civil servant who served as permanent secretary.

She practiced law at the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris and Popeo, P.C., representing public and private companies in public offerings, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance issues before joining the agency in 2004.

Ebong earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, a Master of Arts in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in History, with Honors, from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar.

Featured

TEF Entrepreneurship: Tony Elumelu Foundation Sets March 22 to Announce 2026 Cohort

Published

2 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Eric

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs will announce the 12th cohort of the flagship TEF Entrepreneurship Programme on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

In 2026, the Foundation will empower a total of 3,200 entrepreneurs across all its entrepreneurship programmes:
1,751 entrepreneurs through Heirs Holdings Group: Heirs Energies, Transcorp Power, Transcorp Hotels, and United Capital; 1,049 entrepreneurs in partnership with the European Commission, OACPS, BMZ and GIZ; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with Sèmè City Development Agency; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with DEG, the German Development Agency; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and the Dutch Government; and 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

Applications to the flagship programme were received from over 265,000 young Africans, representing all 54 African countries, underscoring Africa’s vibrant entrepreneurial sector and the funding challenge for entrepreneurs. The new cohort will join the TEF Alumni community of more than 24,000 entrepreneurs.

The selection process is conducted by Ernst & Young, ensuring an independent and rigorous assessment of applicants.

Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to world-class business management training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and entry into a powerful network of investors, partners, and other entrepreneurs.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 2.5 million young Africans with access to business management training on our proprietary digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over US$100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 selected entrepreneurs. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated $4.2 billion in revenue and created more than 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs. Through our support for African entrepreneurs, TEF has lifted 2.1 million Africans above the poverty line, and positively impacted more than 4 million African households, with 46% of supported entrepreneurs being African women.

Ahead of the upcoming announcement, Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, reiterates his unwavering belief in the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurs:

“The future of Africa will be built by Africans who create businesses, generate jobs and solve the challenges of our continent. At the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we believe that empowering entrepreneurs is the most sustainable path to Africa’s economic transformation.

I look forward to announcing and congratulating the 2026 cohort of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs and look forward to witnessing the impact they will create across our continent.”

The general public is invited to join, virtually.

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Eid-El-Fitr: Glo Felicitates with Muslims, Urges National Unity, Compassion

Published

3 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Eric

High premium Technology Company, Globacom, has felicitated with Muslims across Nigeria as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitr festival which marks the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.

In a goodwill message released in Lagos, the company commended the resilience and devotion shown by the faithful during the 30 days of spiritual reflection, sacrifice, and abstinence.

Globacom emphasized the importance of love, sacrifice, and community, encouraging Nigerians to embody these values.

The company explained that the end of Ramadan should serve as a springboard for continued personal growth, urging Nigerians to “use Eid-El-Fitri as a moment to reflect on their spiritual journey, promote the spirit of being one’s brother’s keeper, regardless of faith or background, and make sacrifices towards building a more prosperous and peaceful nation for all”.

Globacom enjoined its millions of subscribers to utilize the network’s innovative and affordable data and voice offerings to enhance their festive experience. It reaffirmed its commitment to providing seamless connectivity and ensuring that family and friends can stay in touch, share moments of joy, and exchange Sallah greetings throughout the holidays and beyond.

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Reno, Fani-Kayode’s Brains Configured to Say Anything and Delete – Dele Momodu

Published

2 days ago

March 18, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Renowned journalist and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Dele Momodu, has come down hard on two loyalists of President Bola Tinubu, Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode, who were ambassadors-designate, before being posted to Mexico and Germany respectively.

Momodu, in a statement titled Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode: A Tale of Two Shameless friends, and posted on his verified social media handles, including Instagram, noted that the two men have proved themselves as very ‘shameless’, with brains configured to say anything and delete immediately.

While referring to Reno and Fani-Kayode as two perpetual agents of perfidy’, Momodu informed that his statement was in other not to give the ‘two…friends’ the impression to think they could bully him into silence and submission.

“No. They can’t. They both have no credibility whatsoever. Together, they’ve expressed the worst views ever about BOLA TINUBU that they will never be able to erase, or clean up, in a million years, except the world finally comes to an end,” he said.

While maintaining that he stands by his qualification of President Tinubu as a dictator, he clarified that the duo of Rwno and Fani-Kayode has disparaged and said worst things about Tinubu in the past, with whom they are hobnobbying with at the present.

Momodu revealed that his suspension of his weekly column on ThisDay and The Boss Newspaper was out of respect for some Yoruba elders, for Tinubu, and not to be critical of him as he did to his predecessors, saying that he has nothing against the president except for his consistent dive into the world of dictatorship and tyranny.

The Ovation Magazine publisher berated the duo of Reno and Fani-Kayode for severally reaching out to him privately for publicity. He also boted that he is not a victim of poor upbringing as the two men constantly portray. He further contrasted himself from the two men, saying he does not fight like pigs, and unlike the duo, has a job.

Read the statement in full

RENO OMOKRI & FEMI FANI-KAYODE: A TALE OF TWO SHAMELESS FRIENDS…

I was going to ignore these two perpetual agents of perfidy but later decided to respond to them just in case they think they could bully me into 🔕 silence and submission.

No. They can’t. They both have no credibility whatsoever. Together, they’ve expressed the worst views ever about BOLA TINUBU that they will never be able to erase, or clean up, in a million years, except the world finally comes to an end.

The only reason I could adduce for Tinubu’s tolerance of both irritants is desperation and his inability to find better people to do the dirty jobs. The brains of these ones have been configured to say anything and delete immediately.

I have never disparaged TINUBU in my life. I have never called him a murderer. I have never called him a drug baron or addict. I’m intelligent enough, not to say what I have no proof of. Only morons talk without thinking. I thank God for good upbringing. I do not fight like pigs. And I have a job and manage my modest income. I’m not seeking government appoints. I know how many times Femi and Reno have reached out to me, privately, either begging for publicity or apologizing for attacking me publicly.

All I have accused Tinubu of is DICTATORSHIP and I stand by it with my full chest. I oppose tyranny because I once suffered under it. Chief Moshood Abiola won an election but dictatorship deprived him of his victory. Why should we replace military dictators with civilian slavemasters. That’s my only grouse against TINUBU. Because of our past association, I have been partial and generous to him by not being as critical of him as I did to his predecessors.
Because of TINUBU, I stopped writing my PENDULUM column on the Backpage of Thisday and The Boss newspapers. Also, out of respect for Yoruba elder statesmen, including retired Generals who pleaded that we give him time to stabilize. They are alive to bear me witness.

How Femi and Reno can continue to harass people on behalf of a TINUBU they’ve permanently damaged and sent to the cleaners really baffles me.

But this is Nigeria…

– AARE BASORUN AKINROGUN DELE MOMODU