Olu Agunloye
Olu Agunloye | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Power and Steel | |
| In office 2002–2003 | |
| President | Olusegun Obasanjo |
| Minister of State for Defence (Navy) | |
| President | Olusegun Obasanjo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 September 1948 Erusu-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria |
| Party | Social Democratic Party (SDP) |
| Education | University of Ibadan Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Physicist, public servant, politician |
Olu Agunloye (born 16 September 1948) is a Nigerian physicist, public servant and politician. He served as Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Minister of State for Defence (Navy) and Minister of Power and Steel under President Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2016 he contested the Ondo State governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).[1][2]
Early life and education
Agunloye was born on 16 September 1948 in Erusu-Akoko, Ondo State. He attended Ondo Boys’ High School, Ondo (1961–1965). He studied at the University of Ibadan (1966–1974) and later obtained a Master’s degree in Applied Geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Ibadan.[1][3]
Career
Academic and private sector
Agunloye lectured in the Department of Physics at the University of Ibadan from 1974 to 1981. He later worked in the private sector as Executive Director of Petramin Nigeria Limited and Managing Director of Faagol Instruments Limited, Ibadan (1981–1988).[1]
Federal Road Safety Corps
He was appointed Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (now Federal Road Safety Corps) and served from 1988 to 1995.[1]
Ministerial appointments
After the return to civilian rule, Agunloye served as Personal Assistant to the Minister of Power and Steel (1999–2000). He was later appointed Minister of State for Defence (Navy) and subsequently Minister of Power and Steel in the cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo (around 2002–2003).[4][5]
He has also served as Executive Vice Chairman of National eGovernment Strategies.[1]
Political career
Agunloye was previously a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria. In February 2016 he defected to the Social Democratic Party and emerged as the party’s candidate for the 2016 Ondo State governorship election.[2][6]
Controversies
Agunloye has been the subject of investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the award of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract while he was Minister of Power and Steel. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.[7]
In July 2026 an FCT High Court in Abuja ruled in Agunloye’s favour in a libel suit against the EFCC. The court found that an EFCC publication linking him to a “$6 billion fraud” was defamatory, ordered the agency to retract the publication, issue a public apology, and pay ₦10 million in damages.[8][9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Olu Agunloye". Realnews Magazine. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- 1 2 Ojo, Damisi (3 February 2016). "Ex-minister, Agunloye, dumps PDP for SDP". The Nation. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ "Olu Agunloye's $6bn Mambilla Power Project Trial: What's Next?". Within Nigeria. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Oloja, Martins; Onuorah, Madu (28 November 2002). "Obasanjo effects minor cabinet reshuffle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ "Tinubu persuaded Bola Ige to be Obasanjo's minister – Agunloye". The Punch. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ "Ondo: My govt will accommodate opposition — Agunloye". Daily Trust. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ "Alleged $6bn fraud: EFCC re-arraigns ex-Minister of Power, Agunloye". Vanguard. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ "$6Billion Fraud Publication: Court Orders EFCC To Apologise To Ex-Minister Agunloye, Awards N10Million Damages In Libel Suit". Sahara Reporters. 8 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ "Court orders EFCC to pay ex-minister, Olu Agunloye N10m for defamation". Daily Champion. Lagos, Nigeria. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 26 July 2026.