Former NEPC boss, export promoter and trade advocate mourned as a loyal public servant and pillar of the Awolowo legacy.
Olusegun “Segun” Awolowo Jr., grandson of late Nigerian nationalist and statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has died at the age of 62, the Awolowo family announced.
Born on September 27, 1963, Segun Awolowo built a distinguished career in public service. He earned his law degree (LLB) from Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University).
Throughout his career, he held several high-profile roles: he served as Special Assistant on Traditional Institutions, Legal Due Diligence, and Legal Matters under President Olusegun Obasanjo, and later as Secretary for Social Development and Transport in the Federal Capital Territory under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Segun’s most prominent position was as Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), a post he held from 2013 until 2021. Under his leadership, he championed Nigeria’s Zero Oil Plan, which aimed to diversify the country’s economy away from crude oil by boosting non-oil exports.
His influence extended beyond Nigeria: in 2021, he was unanimously elected President of the National Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) for ECOWAS member states, and in 2023, he was appointed Secretary of Nigeria’s National Action Committee on AfCFTA, coordinating national efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
In his personal life, Segun was described by his family as “steady, wise, endlessly loving” a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose life was anchored in service. He was widely mourned by political leaders, including Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who called him a “consummate public servant” and a “voice of courage.”
President Bola Tinubu also expressed his condolences, praising Segun for exemplifying the pedigree of his grandfather, Chief Awolowo, and for his integrity and contribution to national development.
The cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed. Funeral arrangements are expected to be released by the Awolowo family in the coming days.
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