Lai Mohammed

Last updated

Lai Mohammed
CON
Minister of Information and Culture
In office
11 November 2015 –29 May 2023

Layiwola "Lai" Mohammed CON (born 6 December 1951) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria from November 2015 to May 2023. [1] He is also the former National publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress. [2] [3]

Contents

Biography

He was born into the family of Alhaji Mohammed Adekeye in 1952. He is a native of Oro in Kwara State. He earned a bachelor's degree in French from Obafemi Awolowo University, in the year 1975. [4] He proceeded to obtain a law degree from the University of Lagos, and then proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 1986. [5] As a practising lawyer, Alhaji Lai Mohammed co-founded the legal firm of Edu & Mohammed as a senior partner in 1989.

Business

Mohammed is a businessman and served as the Chairman of Optmedia Limited, a subsidiary of Afromedia PLC since 18 December 2008. [6] He served as a Director of Afromedia PLC since May 2011. [7] Alhaji Mohammed is also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and worked as Public Relations Officer for almost 10 years with the Nigerian Airport Authority, now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). [8]

Politics

In October 2002, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was a candidate for governor in the April 2003 Kwara State elections on the Alliance for Democracy platform. He was assaulted and five vehicles in his convoy were smashed in front of Senator Suleiman Ajadi's campaign office at Oke-Onigbin during a festivity. [9] He served as Governor Tinubu's Chief of Staff during his first term. [10]

Mohammed is an active politician and was the National Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Nigeria. He was on 11 November 2015 sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Information and Culture following his appointment and successful screening by the Nigerian Senate. On 21 August 2019, he was again re-appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Information and Culture. [11] [12]

He has been accused by some local and international news about giving contradictory accounts of events in his country and false information. [13] [14] This is evidential in his #EndSARS accounts, which were at first, different from those claimed by the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Army. In his interview with DW TV, Tim Sebastian accused him of being "out of the loops" of his country's politics. [15]

He had accused CNN of being "desperate", after the international media released several footages, to prove the massacre of the protesters at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos, Nigeria. However, CNN had requested substantial proof to prove that the media outlet had reported "Fake news," as he claimed. [16]

Award

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammadu Buhari</span> President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, military head of state of Nigeria from 1983 to 1985

Muhammadu Buhari is a Nigerian politician and retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. He also served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power from the Shehu Shagari civilian government in a military coup d'état. The term Buharism is used to describe the authoritarian policies of his military regime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic and Financial Crimes Commission</span> Nigerian Law enforcement agency

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a Nigerian law enforcement and anti-graft agency that investigates financial crimes and unknown transactions such as advance fee fraud and money laundering. The EFCC was established in 2003, partially in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community's efforts to fight money laundering. The agency has its head office in Abuja, Nigeria. The EFCC was also set up to fight against corruption and protect the country from economic saboteurs.

Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a rapid transit system in Lagos State. The rail system is managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). The railway equipment including electric power, signals, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a concession contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network. The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011, though the construction has suffered many delays caused by shortage of funds and change of government. The Blue Line opened on September 4, 2023 and the Red Line opened on February 29, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwara State University</span> Public University in Malete, Nigeria

Kwara State University (KWASU), is a public state research university located in Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria. It is the 77th university to be registered by the NUC, and the 95th university to be recognized in Nigeria. The university has about 60 academic departments spread across 10 faculties.

Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki is a Nigerian politician who served as the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development of Nigeria since 6 July 2022 till 29th May 2023. She served earlier as the Minister of State for Transportation from 2019 till she was moved by the President to the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in 2022.

Sarafadeen Tunji Isola is the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He was appointed to the position by President by Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021 and recalled a year later, on 2 September 2023, by President Bola Tinubu, alongside other Nigerian ambassadors and replaced by Dr.Cyprian T.Heen.

Salaudeen Adebola Latinwo was a group captain in the Nigerian Air Force and a military governor of Kwara State, Nigeria, under Muhammadu Buhari's military government.

Lateef Kayode Jakande was a Nigerian journalist and politician who served as governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983, and later Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military regime.

Ibrahim Taiwo was a Military Governor of Kwara State from July 1975 to February 1976 during the military regime of General Murtala Mohammed. He assisted in establishment of the University of Ilorin, which was founded by decree August, 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdulfatah Ahmed</span> Nigerian banker and politician (born 1963)

Abdulfatah Ahmed is a Nigerian banker and politician. He is the former Governor of Kwara State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of the Federal Republic</span> Nigerian order of merit

The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger.

Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari ascended the throne as the 11th Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council since 1995 following the demise of his uncle, Mallam Aliyu AbdulKadir. He relinquished his position as the Presiding Justice of Court of Appeal, Lagos Division to become the Custodian of the Shehu Alimi dynasty. He is one of the 10 prominent traditional rulers in northern Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">End SARS</span> Decentralized social movement against police brutality in Nigeria (2020)

End SARS, widely written as #EndSARS, was a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria that mainly occurred in 2020. The movement's slogan called for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police known for its long record of abuse against Nigerian citizens. The protests originated from a Twitter campaign in 2017, using the hashtag #EndSARS to demand the unit's disbandment by the Nigerian government. The movement experienced a resurgence in October 2020 following further revelations of the unit's abuses, leading to mass demonstrations across major cities in Nigeria, and widespread outrage on social media platforms. The hashtag #EndSARS accumulated over 28 million tweets on Twitter alone. Solidarity protests and demonstrations by Nigerians in the diaspora and sympathizers occurred in many major cities around the world. Notably, the movement was predominantly led by young Nigerians and expanded to include demands for good governance and accountability, amidst unprecedented hardship in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oluwatoyin Ogundipe</span> Nigerian academic (born 1960)

Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe is a Nigerian academic and a professor of botany. He served as the 12th vice chancellor of the University of Lagos from November 2017 to November 2022.

Mohammed Musa Bello is a Nigerian banker and politician who served as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, from 2015 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi</span> Nigerian lawyer and politician (born 1968)

Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He was appointed Nigeria's Minister of Environment by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2022, having been redeployed from the Ministry of Science and Technology where he was Minister of State. He served in his new position until May 2023. He was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for Nasarawa State and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). He is a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Lekki shooting</span> Massacre in Nigeria

On the night of 20 October 2020, at about 6:50 p.m., members of the Nigerian Army opened fire on unarmed End SARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State, Nigeria. Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters were killed during the shooting. A day after the incident, on 21 October, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, denied reports of any loss of lives, but later admitted in an interview with a CNN journalist that "only two persons were killed".

The following is a list of events in 2021 in Nigeria.

Twitter was blocked in Nigeria from 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022. The government imposed a ban on the social network after it deleted tweets made by, and temporarily suspended, the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, warning the southeastern people of Nigeria, predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Nigerian Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria. The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the president's tweets factored into their decision, but it was ultimately based on "a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences", citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.

References

  1. ↑ "I don't have COVID-19 — LAI MOHAMMED". Vanguard News. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Stocks". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Lai Mohammed at 70: The stripes of loyalty". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "Alhaji Lai Mohammed". Edinburgh International Culture Summit. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Lai Mohammed: Potent voice of opposition". The Nation. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Honourable Minister". Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Ministerial Nominee: NINE things you need to know about Lai Mohammed". Vanguard News. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "Profile of Alhaji Lai Mohammed". Nigerian Image. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Utibe Uko (15 December 2002). ""The Endangered Aspirants". This Day Online" . Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Alhaji Lai Mohammed". Edinburgh International Culture Summit. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  11. ↑ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/347816-full-list-portfolios-of-buharis-44-ministers-2019-2023.html . Retrieved 3 July 2024.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ Nwachukwu, John Owen (21 August 2019). "Buhari's cabinet: Why I was reappointed Minister - Lai Mohammed". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  13. ↑ Akinkuotu, Eniola (4 July 2021). "Lai Mohammed lies every day, says Kwara House of Assembly". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Owolabi, Femi (30 July 2019). "Lai: My grandson once asked why people call me a liar". TheCable. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed on Conflict Zone | DW | 18.03.2020". Deutsche Welle .
  16. ↑ "Lekki shootings: New report shows CNN is desperate —Lai Mohammed". 25 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "FULL LIST: 2022 National Honours Award Recipients The Nation Newspaper". 9 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.