H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

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H.E. CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA General Olusegun Obasanjo was born on 5 March 1937 in Abeokuta (South-West Nigeria), to a modest Yoruba family. He studied in a Baptist school. Unable to remain in college for financial reasons, he enlisted in the British colonial army in 1958. He received officer training in the UK. He rose quickly through the army ranks of his country. During the Biafra conflict, he was appointed to head a commando division at the Biafran front. He received the surrender of the Biafran secessionist forces in 1970. The Death of General Murtala Mohammed (1976) projected General Obasanjo, his right hand man and Chief of Staff, to the head of the country’s government. He endowed the country with a federal Constitution based on a presidential system of government. In July-August 1979, President Olusegun Obasanjo organised a presidential election in which he decided not to run. In subsequent years, Obasanjo held various positions in the United Nations and other international organisations. His party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the state and federal elections in 1998. Obasanjo served as civilian president of Nigeria, from May 1999 to May 2007. During these mandates, he undertook policies aimed at reducing poverty, corruption in government and establishing a democratic system. During the same period, President Olusegun Obasanjo joined forces with his counterparts, to ensure the harmonious development of the Gulf of Guinea sub-region within a framework of peace and security. In 2008 he was appointed by the United Nations as a Special Envoy for Africa and has since observed democratic elections on behalf of the African Union and ECOWAS in many countries across the continent. This was the culmination of a life spent on the front line of African politics, He is a strong advocate of investment in Africa with the launch of his foundation, which aims at addressing the essential issues for the development of the continent. Chief Obasanjo is also a big farmer in his native country. President Olusegun Obasanjo is with President El Hadj Omar Bongo the brains behind the formation of the Gulf of Guinea Commission on 3 July 2001. .

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