Nigerians abroad have contributed immensely in changing the world and making the planet a better place to live in through their activities with global profit and non-profit organizations. The news of the appointment of American-based Nigerian economist, Adewale Adeyemo, as the first president of the Barrack Obama Foundation is great evidence of how outstanding citizens of the oil rich nation can be, especially when it is about performing civic duties.
On August 1, 2019, the Barrack Obama Foundation released an official statement signaling the appointment of the Yoruba man. Wally, as he is fondly called, worked with the administration of President Barrack Obama during his tenure at the White House. Adeyemo served as the Deputy National Security Adviser for international economics and is notable for helping the Obama-led government combat the 2008 global economic recession, a proof of his exceptional economic skills.
Adeyemo is expected to assume duties in the coming weeks. Part of his new role include running the daily activities of the organization, and assisting in the implementation of the overall strategic institutional goals and visions of the Obama group. Projects such as the construction of the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago are under Adeyemo’s purview, along with ensuring a drastic improvement of the group’s involvement in leadership development, and civic engagement initiatives such as My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance, and the Community Leadership Corps.
Wally is the ideal person to help lead the Foundation team as we continue to grow the impact of our global civic engagement programs and advance the Obama Presidential Center….Given his executive experience in both the public and private sectors and previous service with President Obama, Wally is well positioned to help us continue to translate our sky-high ambitions into operational reality through daily leadership of our talented staff.
Martin Nesbitt- Board Chairman of the Barrack Obama Foundation
Adewale Adeyemo’s stay in the United States owes largely to his parent’s decision to migrate to the multi-racial country while he was still young. The lad would go on to gain a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, and a J.D from Yale Law School. Prior to working for the economic team of Barrack Obama, 39 years old Wally served as an editor for the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, a program which has the advancement of public policy proposals leading to long-term economic growth as focus. His position as Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics, and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council during Obama’s presidency meant he was charged with the duties of coordinating policy making processes related to issues like international finance, trade and investment, energy, and environmental issues.
Sources:
Chicago Tribune
Obama
Csis
Youth Today
Featured Image Source: The African Courier
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