Dr. Mrs. Olawunmi Egbayelo-Ilawole (PhD, MBA, B.A. MNIM FIMC) is a vivacious and inspiring woman of dignity who has within a space of 9 years, crafted an inched for herself in Ondo State politics.
This graduate of Philosophy from Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (then Ondo State University Ado-Ekiti) is a remarkable personality and the Special Adviser on Education to Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
This two-term Special Adviser on Education was born over fifty years ago in the Ebute-meta area, of Lagos Mainland Local Government Council of Lagos State to the family of Apostle Samson Oredun Egbayelo who hails from Motoro in Mahin kingdom and Mrs. Olufunmilayo Oholo-Egbayelo of the famous Lebile-Oholo family in Igbokoda. Both are indigenes of Ondo State.
She started her elementary education at International Women Society Nursery School, Lagos and then proceeded to Girls Modern Academy Ikoyi, Lagos for her primary education from 1971 to 1976. She gained admission into Nigerian Peoples High School, Ebute-meta in 1976 and left the school in 1981 before she proceeded to Holborn Tutorial College, London and St. Giles College Eastbourne East Sussex, United Kingdom from 1981 to 1985. In pursuit of tertiary education, she gained admission into the University of Wolverhampton for an LLB degree in law but due to financial constraints, she terminated the law programme at the intermediate level.
On returning to Nigeria in 1986, she took up a Business Development job with Eleganza Industries Limited Ikeja, Lagos State. However, due to her passion and goal of attaining the highest level of education, she abandoned her Business Development job in pursuit of her educational career. She later gained admission into the then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti where she bagged her degree in Philosophy.
Dr. Wunmi Egbayelo-Ilawole has been a brilliant and passionate undergraduate experience, she graduated with a first-class honours degree and was the Best graduating student for the Bachelor of Arts Degree, she also won Best Student in the B.A. Hons. Philosophy Degree Examination and Best all-round student i.e. the student who has contributed most to the overall life of the university in the graduating class, both in terms of academic and community life.
After her graduation, she did her one-year compulsory NYSC program with Derin Nigeria Limited an ICT company where she cut her teeth in information technology through self-study. However, she was still not satisfied with her educational attainment and this led her to the University of Lagos for post-graduate studies and was admitted directly into the Ph.D. programme due to her academic performance. She specializes in African Socio-Political Philosophy and her Ph.D. thesis which was a comparative critical analysis of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Orunmila’sIfa Morality and it was considered a pioneer work in that field.
To also prepare for a business career, she enrolled for the MBA programme of the University of Ado-Ekiti now Ekiti State University (EKSU) with a specialization in Business Management. She is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and also a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants.
HER CAREER JOURNEY
She started her career with Summit Oil & Gas Worldwide Limited in 1997 as the Office Manager and rose through the ranks of Chief Finance Officer to become the Vice President of the company. Having gathered her experience in the Oil & Gas sector, she moved into the telecommunication industry in July 2009. She joined Mass Telecom Innovation Nigeria Plc, a telecommunication infrastructure and allied company as the Group Head of Corporate Services and oversees the Admin, Human Resource and Corporate department of the company in the West African region. She voluntarily disengaged from MTI Plc in December 2014 to run her consultancy outfit where she specializes in project management and general consultancy for clients in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry.
HER POLITICAL JOURNEY
She is indeed a giver and an advocate for women and youth empowerment whose passion for giving back to her society led her to delve into politics in 2015. She is indeed a leader in her ward and senatorial constituency. She served as Special Adviser on Education during the 6 years of the administration of Late Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, where she worked alongside the commissioner of Education and other educational stakeholders in the state to promote education. She had been reappointed and evaluated to the same position by the Executive Governor of Ondo state, His Excellency, Lucky Aiyedatiwa but now in commissioner capacity. According to her, she described her appointment as an opportunity to serve and contribute to the educational system of the state been an educational ist.
As the Special Adviser on education, she will be spearheading numerous initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education in the state. She is committed to ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances and her extensive knowledge and experience in the field make her the perfect candidate for this crucial role. Dr. Egbayelo-Ilawole is dedicated to improving the educational system in Ondo State and she is actively involved in implementing innovative policies and programs to enhance the quality of education. She believes in a student-centred approach, focusing on empowering students to become active learners and critical thinkers. Dr. Egbayelo-Ilawole’s commitment to education has earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues, as well as the community she serves. Under her leadership, Ondo State will witness transformative changes in the education sector.
Going by her contribution to society, she was honoured with various recognition which includes; the Award of Excellence presented by OSUA Connection Legacy Foundation 2018; the 2022 Ondo State Female Role Model Award by Hero Magazine; the Award of Excellence for Exemplary Leadership Presented by National Association of Ondo State Students; Distinguished Award of Excellence from Aquinas College Old Students Association. Also, OSDF Supportive Role Award from Ondo South Development Forum and the Region; Distinguish Leadership Award from Ekiti State University Alumni (Ondo State Chapter), Service Ambassador Award from Centre for Save and Serve Humanity Organization. Alumni Association of Adeyemi Federal University of Education – Award of Excellence for Tertiary Educational Development
She is a Fellow (Honorary) of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA Nigeria) Ondo, London Graduate School where she earned a Certified in Management Specialist with Distinction in Time Management.
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