His achievements in the intellectual world speak volumes. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Minister of External Affairs under the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in 1985, is a prolific writer who has authored many books and contributed many publications to many reputed and recognised local and international journals.

Akinyemi was born in Ilesa, in Osun State. He attended Igbobi College in Yaba from 1955 to 1959; Christ’s School in Ado Ekiti, from 1960 to 1961; Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1962 to 1964; Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, US, 1964 to 1966, and Trinity College, Oxford University, England, from 1966 until 1969.

Bolaji Akinyemi is a Professor of Political Science. He obtained his doctorate degree from the prestigious Oxford University in 1969. He was an instructor in the Politics of the Developing Nations in the North Eastern University, Boston, Massachusetts; a Visiting Professor in African Studies at the DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana; a Visiting Professor of Political

Science at the Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He has taught as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Ibadan and by 1975, had become the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs — the nation’s foreign policy development and formulation centre.

He was a visiting professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and at the Diplomacy Training Programme, University of Nairobi, Kenya, both in 1977. He was Regents Lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, US in 1979, Professor of Political Science at the University of Lagos, from 1983 until 1985, and Visiting Fellow, St. John’s College, Cambridge, England in 1984.

Akinyemi was Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) from 1975 until 1983.The NIIA is an organization focusing on Nigerian foreign policy; while he was Director-General, it was involved in promoting Nigerian-Angolan relations, among other things.

He married Rowena Jane Viley in 1970. They have one son and three daughters.

Akinyemi was appointed Minister of External Affairs by military leader Ibrahim Babangida in 1985. While in this position, he originated the Technical Aid Corps (TAC), a programme which sent Nigerian professionals overseas to engage in volunteer work. It was designed to “promote the country’s image and status as a major contributor to Third World and particularly African development.” He also came up with the concept of the “Concert of Medium Powers.”

In 1987, Akinyemi stated his support for Nigeria developing nuclear weapons. He referred to the proposal as the “black bomb,” and said that “Nigeria has a sacred responsibility to challenge the racial monopoly of nuclear weapons.”

As Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), he conceived of the idea of “Dialogue” to broaden the base of foreign policy consultation. He organised and presided over the following: Nigerian-United States Dialogue (1978), Nigerian-Soviet Dialogue (1978), Nigerian-Chinese Dialogue (1979), Nigerian- Scandinavian Dialogue (1980), Nigerian-Brazilian Dialogue (1980), Dialogue on North-South Dialogue with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (1981) and the Nigerian-Chinese Dialogue (1982).

While at the Institute, he was a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva in 1977; Visiting Professor at The Diplomacy Training Programme of the University of Nairobi, Kenya; Regent’s Lecturer, University of California, Los Angeles, California in 1979. He also introduced the Technical Aid Corps Scheme so as to radically restructure the Nigerian foreign assistance programme.

While serving as the Foreign Affairs Minister, he was the Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the United Nations Annual General Assembly Session, New York  (1985); Deputy Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Commonwealth Summit, Bahamas (1985); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Organisation of African Unity, Council of Ministers Session (1986);

Deputy Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Organisation of African Unity Heads of State and Government Summit (1986); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference, Harare (1986); Deputy Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Non-Aligned Summit, Harare (1986); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the United

Nations General Assembly Annual Session (1986); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa (1986); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Budget Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African Unity, Addis Ababa (1987); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African Unity, Addis Ababa (1987); Deputy Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Annual Summit of the

Organisation of African Unity (1987); Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Annual Session (1987); Deputy Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of State and Governments, Vancouver (1987) and Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Organisation of African Unity devoted to African debt, Addis Ababa (1987).

After his ministerial assignment, the Centre for International Studies, University of Cambridge, England, appointed him a Fellow of International Relations. He is also a Life Member of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, England.

He has been a member of the following reputable bodies and institutions: the International Advisory Board of the Centre for Strategic Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, U.S.A.; International Institute of Strategic Studies Committee on Regional Security Studies; Academic Advisory Board, Candido Mendes University, Brazil; United Nations Group of

Experts on Disarmaments and Development; United Nations Group of Experts on certain aspects of the Middle East; United Nations Institute for Disarmament Panel on South African Nuclear Capability; United Nations Organising Committee for United Nations Conference on Disarmament, Development and Security in Africa; Nigerian Government Panel on the History of Nigeria since Independence; Election Observer, Human Rights Group, Zimbabwe.

He is very honest about his convictions and would express them without reservations irrespective of the constitution of his audience. His radical views and beliefs about political life and issues have distinguished him as one of Nigeria’s most respected Ministers of Foreign Affairs. His collaborative fight for the soul of this nation against the authoritarian regimes of the past attests to this. This is because of his belief that only democracy and freedom of expression can guarantee true development.

Professor Akinyemi has also mentored a lot of successful and accomplished personalities in Nigeria and in other parts of the world.