Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has approved the appointment of a member of his cabinet, Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo as Chief of Staff to the Governor.
Adebayo, who is currently the State Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management, is to assume the role of Chief of Staff with effect from January 2, 2025.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode, Adebayo is expected to bring his wealth of experience in finance, management and planning to bear in the coordination of activities of the Governor’s office.
Similarly, the Governor has also approved the appointment of Hon Femi Ajayi as the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning.
Ajayi, a one-time Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, is presently the Special Adviser to the Governor, Independent Project Monitoring Office. He takes over as Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Budget and Economic, which has now reverted to its original name, effective January 2, 2025.
The Governor has also created the Office of Special Services to be headed by Prince Wole Ajakaiye as Special Adviser. Ajakaiye is currently Director General/Special Adviser SDGs. The Office of Special Services will be in charge of SDGs, Independent Project Monitoring and other functions as determined by the Governor.
Oyeniyi Adebayo, who hails from Usi-Ekiti, joined the Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji administration as Special Adviser Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management in November 2022. He was later inaugurated as honourable Commissioner in charge of the ministry in August 2023.
He holds a Bachelor of Science second class upper degree in Forest Resources Management and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from University of Ibadan. He also has an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. He has attended several management courses at other leading business schools such as Harvard Business School, Insead School of Management and Kellogg School of Business. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
The new Chief of Staff began his career with Arthur Andersen where he provided audit and financial consultancy services to leading oil & gas and manufacturing companies. Subsequently, he worked in global financial institutions such as Merrill Lynch Private Wealth Management Group in Los Angeles, USA.
On his return to Nigeria, he joined Capital Alliance Private equity where he distinguished himself managing a portfolio that included the original Nigerian shareholders who owned 25 percent of the telecom giant MTN Nigeria. He later joined the banking industry and worked in institutions such as United Bank for Africa (UBA), and First City Monument Bank where he served as General Manager and Head of National Distribution. His last banking position was at Enterprise Bank, where he was an Executive Director up till December 2014.
Upon leaving the banking industry, Adebayo founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bodani Advisory Services Limited, a financial advisory services and management consulting firm.
In a related development, Governor Oyebanji has also approved the appointment of Barrister Tajudeen Akingbolu as Director General, Ekiti State Transport Agency.
Akingbolu, a former member of the State House of Assembly, is to manage the newly floated agency effective from January 2, 2025.
Governor Oyebanji wishes all the appointees success in their respective assignments, even as he urged them to justify the confidence he reposed in them by ensuring more effective service delivery.