Pastor Laolu Akande, resumed officially on Monday, June 22, as the spokesperson of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Not many Nigerians know a lot about Akande, who has resided outside Nigeria for several years.

In view of this, we’ve compiled 7 things you should know about him;

1. Before relocating to the United States, Akande worked with The Guardian, The News Magazine and Nigerian Tribune.

 

2. Akande is regarded as the longest serving African correspondent at the United Nations, where he worked as a Press Officer and later as Advocacy Consultant between 2002-2004.

 

3. Akande is reputed as the only Nigerian journalist to have interviewed a sitting American president in the White House when he interviewed former President George W. Bush.

 

4. He has also exclusively interviewed General Colin Powell, billionaires like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Donald Trump and several African leaders and presidents.

 

5. Akande is the founder of Empowered Newswire, and has reported about Nigerians and Nigerian issues especially in the US and Canada in the last 13 years.

 

6. He has worked with leading American newspapers including the Philadelphia Inquirer, and New York Newsday.

 

7. Akande became a pastor in 2007 at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus Friends Assembly in Long Island, New York.