Bankole Adeoye (born 9 September 1959) is an

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n diplomat from

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

with over three and a half decades of experience in foreign policy and diplomatic practice. He currently serves as the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

(AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, a position he assumed in March 2021 following his election at the 34th AU Summit in February 2021.

Early life and education

Born in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, Adeoye hails from

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national borde ...

. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the Obafemi Awolowo University (previously University of Ife) in 1982 and a Master of Science in Political Science from the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

in 1987. In 1991, he received a Postgraduate Certificate in Diplomatic Studies with distinction from the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, England, as a Commonwealth Chevening and British Council Scholar.

Career

Adeoye's diplomatic career includes several key positions: * Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the AU and UNECA; Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti (2017–2020): He led Nigeria's mission in Addis Ababa, participating in AU processes and fostering bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia and Djibouti. * Chief of Staff to the CEO and Director of Corporate Services at the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (2007–2015): During his secondment to NEPAD, he coordinated partnerships and external relations, contributing to Africa's development agenda. * Director in the International Organizations Department, Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2015–2017): He oversaw Nigeria's multilateral engagements within the UN system, focusing on human rights, humanitarian, social, economic, and financial matters. Throughout his career, Adeoye has been posted to various countries, including Egypt, Brazil, South Africa, and Ethiopia, enhancing Nigeria's diplomatic relations and contributing to continental initiatives.

Contributions and Advocacy

As AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Adeoye advocates for Africa's transformation through effective governance, durable peace, security, and sustainable development. He emphasizes the nexus between peace, security, and development, promoting the implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA). Adeoye is a proponent of "African Solutions to African Problems" and is committed to actualizing Agenda 2063—"The Africa We Want."

Personal life

Adeoye is married to Gwendolyn Adeoye, and they have two daughters.

References

External links

Adeoye's profile
in

website Living people 1959 births {{G20-Defence