Parliament Spotlight: Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga | Reps Deputy Chief Whip

Olamilekan Quadri AlimiJuly 5, 202315 min

This week, our Parliament Spotlight is focused on the lawmaker representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives. She doubles as the only female Principal Officer among nineteen men in both chambers of Nigeria’s federal parliament.

 

READ ALSO: Parliament Spotlight: Franca Afegbua; Nigeria’s First Elected Female Senator

 

 

When the results of the 2023 National Assembly elections were fully unveiled to Nigerians, it was clear to many that women’s representation in the apex lawmaking institution in the country had hit another ebb.

For the Senate, where eight female Senators occupied seats in the last Assembly for four years, the number had dropped to an abysmal three who were incidentally all newbies to the Red Chamber. In the House of Representatives, however, female representation, which was 3.9% (14) of the total Membership in the Green Chamber, slightly improved to 4.2% (15).

In the race for Presiding Officers of both Chambers, only one female Member of the House of Representatives amongst nine fierce contenders for the seat indicated an interest in the Speakership; thus dimming the hopes of women occupying a key role in the country’s legislative leadership.

That feeling of haplessness with regard to the plight of women’s representation in the Tenth National Assembly, however received a charge on Tuesday, 4th July 2023 when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced a female lawmaker as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Green Chamber.

Fifty-eight-year-old Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, who is a member of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC), is a second-term lawmaker and the only female federal lawmaker from Ogun State in both the Ninth and Tenth National Assembly. Interestingly, among nineteen other men, she is also the only female Principal Officer in Nigeria’s bicameral federal legislature.

Who isIjaya,’ as she is popularly called? Find out in the profile below:

 

 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

  • First School Leaving Certificate (1977)
    Yewande Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, Lagos
  • Senior Secondary School Certificate (1982)
    Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu, Ogun State
  • A’ Levels (1984)
    Ahmadiyya College, Lagos
  • Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Mass Communication (1986)
    Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic)
  • Higher National Certificate, Business and Finance
  • Post Graduate Diploma, Public Relations and Advertising
    Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) – 2013
    Business School of Netherlands

Other Professional Qualifications

  • Certified Novell Administrator (CAN)
  •  Microsoft Systems Engineer (MCSE)

READ ALSO: Parliament Spotlight: Rukayat Motunrayo Shittu | Youngest female Member-Elect

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

  • Systems Administrator
    Quaker Oats Plc, England
  • Head of  Systems and Engineering
    Southgate Technologies, Nigeria
  • Pageant Manager
    Daily Times of Nigeria Plc
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
    Events Management and Environmental Advocacy Companies
  • Yeye Oba of Makun (2020)
    Matriarch of the Kingdom, Sagamu, Ogun State

 

READ ALSO: PROFILES: What you need to know about Nigeria’s 14 Female Members-Elect

 

PUBLIC OFFICE EXPERIENCE

  • Senior Special Assistant, Environment, Ogun State (2016-2018)
  • Special Adviser, First Residence, Lagos State (2007-2011)

MAJOR POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

  • In a keen contest for the Ikenne Federal Constituency Seat in 2023, Onanuga defeated her closest rival, Bola Oluwole of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), by 8,028 votes.  
  • Rep. Adewunmi Onanuga is the only female federal lawmaker from Ogun State since 2019.
  • Onanuga is also the only female Principal Officer in the Tenth National Assembly. 

 

READ ALSO: Female Rep emerges Deputy Chief Whip as Reps announce Principal Officers

 

LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE

  1. Member, House of Representatives (2019 – 2023)
    Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State
    All Progressives Congress (APC)
  2. Member, House Ad-hoc Committee on Welfare – Ninth National Assembly
  3. Chairperson, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development – Ninth National Assembly
  4. Member, House of Representatives (2023 till date)
    Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State
    All Progressives Congress (APC)
  5. Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives
    10th National Assembly

 

     

READ ALSO: 10TH NASS: Composition of the Nigerian House of Representatives | Age, Gender

Olamilekan Quadri Alimi

One comment

  • Yunus

    November 7, 2023 at 8:22 pm

    She has done what a man has ever done in Remo,she’s well representable, reliable and caring.

    Reply

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