Yemi Osibanjo – Former Vice President of Nigeria
| Stage Name: | Yemi Osibanjo |
| Real Name: | Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo |
| Occupation: | Politician |
| Date Of Birth/Age: | 8th March 1957 (68 years) |
| State of Origin: | Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Gender: | Male |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Marital Status: | Dolapo Osinbajo (Wife) |
| Education: | University of Lagos |
| Known for: | Politics |
Early Life
Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, known as Yemi Osinbajo, was born on March 8, 1957, at the Creek Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up in Lagos in a middle‑class Christian family. His parents were educated and taught him good values. He lived with his family, attended church, and learned about honesty, kindness, and service from a young age.
As a child, Yemi went to Corona Primary School in Lagos. After that, he attended Igbobi College in Yaba, Lagos, from 1969 to 1975. During his time at Igbobi College, he did very well in school and won many prizes in subjects like history, literature, and public speaking. For example, he got the “State Merit Award” in 1971, the Senior Student Prize for English Oratory in 1972, and several other awards until 1975.
Educational Background
After finishing secondary school at Igbobi College, Yemi studied Law at the University of Lagos from 1975 to 1978. He graduated with Second Class Upper Division, and he also won the Graham‑Douglas Prize for doing well in Commercial Law.
In 1979, Yemi went to the Nigerian Law School for his one‑year professional training. After that, he was officially admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
In 1980, he travelled to England to study at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he got a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. This strong education helped him become a lawyer, teacher, and leader later on.
Career
Academic and Legal Career
From 1979 to 1980, Yemi did his National Youth Service as a legal officer with the Bendel Development and Planning Authority in the old Bendel State. In 1981, at only 24 years old, he became a law lecturer at the University of Lagos. Over the next years, he was promoted and by 1983 to 1986 he served as a Senior Lecturer at the university.
Later, he served as Senior Special Adviser on Litigation to Nigeria’s Attorney‑General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola, from 1988 to 1992. In 1997, Yemi Osinbajo became a Professor of Law, specialising in the law of evidence, and he led the Department of Public Law at the University of Lagos until 1999.
Law Reform and Public Service in Lagos State
In 1999, Yemi Osinbajo became the Attorney‑General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, serving under Governor Bola Tinubu, and continued in the same role until 2007. In this position, he led many reforms: he worked to improve Lagos courts, set up the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) to help poor citizens get justice, and launched the Citizens Mediation Centre (CMC) to resolve disputes without going to court. These reforms helped many people and even brought in about $1 billion in revenue for Lagos State from better land registry systems.
Vice‑President of Nigeria (2015–2023)
Yemi Osinbajo helped form the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 and wrote its manifesto, called the “Roadmap to a New Nigeria”. This plan proposed things like free meals in schools and cash support for poor families.
In 2015, he became the running mate of Muhammadu Buhari in the APC ticket. They won the election, and on May 29, 2015, Yemi Osinbajo was sworn in as Vice‑President of Nigeria. He was re-elected in 2019, serving until May 29, 2023.
As Vice‑President, he supervised economic planning, helped run programs like N‑Power and TraderMoni to support youth and small traders. These programs trained hundreds of thousands of young people and gave loans to many traders. When President Buhari was away for medical reasons, Osinbajo served as Acting President, making decisions like requiring oil companies to move headquarters to Niger Delta states—aimed at helping local communities.
He also helped Nigeria recover from recession, boosting GDP by about 2% after 2016, and attracted foreign investments worth billions, including funding from Microsoft.
Personal Life
Yemi Osinbajo is married to Dolapo Osinbajo (née Soyode). They married on November 25, 1989. Dolapo is the granddaughter of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s founding fathers. They have three children: two daughters and one son — Kiki (Olukonyinsola), Kanyinsola, and Fiyinfoluwa Osinbajo .
Yemi is also an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He leads Province 48, known as Olive Tree, in Ikoyi, Lagos. He continued serving as pastor even while he was Vice‑President, calling his government service a “loan” from God.
He supports many charitable and social projects. He and his wife set up the Orderly Society Trust, which promotes ethics, good behaviour, and justice. He also leads the Liberty Schools Project, which provides free primary education, school lunches, free legal help, skills training, shelters, and health services in poor Lagos communities such as Obanikoro, Ikota, and Makoko. In Borno State, he helped set up a centre to help orphans and vulnerable children affected by conflict. His charitable work has helped hundreds of children access education, feeding, and psychosocial care.
Social Media Presence
Yemi Osinbajo is active on social media. His official Instagram handle is @profosinbajo, and he also has a public Facebook page named Professor Yemi Osinbajo. He uses TikTok under @profosinbajotv.
By around September 2022, he had about 3.9 million followers on X (Twitter), making him one of the most followed Nigerian leaders online. He shared updates about government work, national issues, and his faith. People saw him as honest and open because he explained complex ideas clearly to everyday Nigerians.
Net Worth
In 2015, Osinbajo declared he had ₦94 million in bank accounts and US$900,000 in domiciliary accounts. He also listed several properties: a four‑bedroom house in Victoria Garden City, Lagos, a three‑bedroom flat on Mosley Road, Ikoyi, a two‑bedroom flat along the Lagos‑Ibadan Expressway, and a two‑bedroom mortgaged property in Bedford, England. He also owned vehicles like an Infinity SUV, Mercedes-Benz, and Prado jeep. He had shares in several companies and owned the law firm SimmonsCooper Partners.
Some websites estimate his net worth between $3 million and $5 million in 2024. Other sources say around $1.5 million, though these differ. These estimates come from his earnings as a lawyer, professor, politician, and shareholder in businesses. Even with wealth, he is known for living modestly—no flashy lifestyle. He uses his money to help others and support education and justice causes.
