Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has been nominated by the Federal Government for the award of the national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

He is among eminent Nigerians nominated for the honour last week, Akinyemi was born in 1942 in Ilesha, Osun State. He was educated at Igbobi College Yaba and Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti.

While at Christ’s School studying for his 6th form, little Akinyemi took part in a national essay competition organized by the American Embassy and the Federal Ministry of Education, and his essay was adjudged the best. His prize was a three-month tour of the United States in 1962 at the age of 20.

While there he met President John F Kennedy, Ralph Bunch, the Undersecretary General at the United Nations, Senator Albert Gore, the father of the later Vice President of the United States Al Gore, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York and several other leading personalities. In the course of his political career, he was to meet President Jimmy Carter, President Ronald Reagan and President Bill Clinton.

Prof Akinyemi

Akinyemi returned to the United States to study at Temple University, Philadelphia, where he got his BA degree in 1964 after just 2 years. He then proceeded to the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy jointly administered by Tufts University, Massachusetts, and Harvard University, where he got an MA degree in international affairs in 1965 and another master of arts in law and diplomacy in 1966. He then transferred to Trinity College, Oxford University in England where he got his doctorate of philosophy in 1969.

Akinyemi joined the University of Ibadan where he taught for five years before he was appointed Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in 1975 by General Murtala Muhammed.  He served in that capacity for eight years and later joined the University of Lagos as a professor in 1983. He was later appointed the Minister of External Affairs by General Ibrahim Babangida.

As Foreign Minister, he was noted for his initiative in establishing the Technical Aids Corps Scheme which radicalized Nigerian Foreign Assistance Programme. That programme is adjudged as the most successful and radical innovation in Nigerian foreign policy.  At present, the Technical Aid Corpers are serving in over 50 countries in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations.

Associated with him as a minister also was the concept of the Concert of Medium Powers which sought to bring together medium powers for the purpose of using their collective bargaining power to mediate disputes within the international system.

Akinyemi has taught in several universities including Cambridge University, University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate Institute of International Studies Geneva and University of Nairobi, Kenya.

He is a member of the International Advisory Board, Center for Strategic Studies, University of California, Los Angeles; Member, International Institute of Strategic Studies Committee on Regional Security Studies; Member Academic Advisory Board, Candido Mendez University Brazil;  Member, United Nations Group of Experts on Disarmament and Development; Chairman, United Nations Group of Experts on the Middle East; Member, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Panel on South African Nuclear Capability; Member, Election Observer Human Rights Group, Zimbabwe in 1985 and Member, the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee, Federal Republic of Nigeria 2007.

Akinyemi was a chieftain of NADECO, the NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC COALITION, that spearheaded the crusade against the annulment of June 12th election results, continuing military rule and fought for true federalism

As a scholar, Akinyemi is the author of 13 books, monographs and over 40 articles in academic journals.

He is married with four children.