Olusegun Awolowo, former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), has passed away at the age of 62.
The news was confirmed in a statement issued by his family on Thursday. The statement described Awolowo as a dedicated public servant and a committed family man.
“With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Olusegun Awolowo,” the family said. “He was a loyal servant to Nigeria, dedicating his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion and unwavering commitment.”
The family also paid tribute to his personal qualities, noting his steadiness, wisdom and devotion to those close to him.
“He loved his family. He loved his work. He loved his country. And he lived every day with purpose, humility and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him,” the statement added.
The late Awolowo Jr. was the grandson of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late nationalist and statesman.
Born on 27 September 1963, Awolowo Jr. lost his father in a car accident just two months before his birth. He spent his early years under the care of his aunt, Mrs Tola Oyediran, and her husband, Prof. Kayode Oyediran, attending Mayhill Convent School alongside Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of the Vice President. He completed his secondary education at Igbobi College, Lagos, and Government College, Ibadan, before obtaining a law degree from Ogun State University, now Olabisi Onabanjo University.
Following his call to the bar in 1989, Awolowo worked with several law firms before serving in public office, including positions under the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. In November 2013, he was appointed Executive Director of NEPC by President Goodluck Jonathan, a role he continued under President Muhammadu Buhari until 2021.
During his tenure at NEPC, Awolowo promoted initiatives to expand Nigeria’s export capacity, most notably the Zero Oil Plan, which aimed to shift the country’s trade from raw materials to value-added products and generate increased foreign exchange earnings. In 2018, he led NEPC in signing a $1 billion memorandum of understanding with AFREXIM Bank and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank to support intra-African trade.
He was also elected in July 2021 as President of the National Trade Promotion Organisations of ECOWAS member states.
Outside his professional work, Awolowo was married and had children. His daughter, Seun, runs Teach-A-Girl Nigeria, an NGO focused on girl child education, and is also the founder of Leads Africa and 3D Living Moments.
His family described him as a dedicated public servant and a committed family man, noting that he lived “with purpose, humility and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.”
