A former North American Bureau Chief of The Guardian, Laolu Akande has been appointed as Senior Special Assistant, media and communication to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to reports by Premium Times, under the present arrangement in the presidency, there would be only one presidential media and communication office, but individual appointees would be given separate responsibilities.
Mr. Akande who was in Nigeria in May to cover the presidential inauguration ceremony for his media agency, Empowered Newswire but returned to the U.S. shortly afterwards, is a pastor and former editor of Saturday Tribune.
Mr. Akande is regarded as “the longest serving African correspondent at the United Nations, and the only Nigerian journalist so far to have interviewed a sitting American president in the White House when he interviewed former President George W. Bush.
He has also exclusively interviewed American folk hero, General Colin Powell, as well as billionaires like Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and Donald Trump and several African leaders and presidents,” his brief bio on CANANUSA.ORG, a Christian organization website, reads.
President Buhari is expected to announce several appointments this week.