Lai Mohammed Biography (Business, Politics, Controversies)

Lai Mohammed is a Nigerian lawyer, and former National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is the current Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture and he assumed the office in November 2015.

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Lai Mohammed Biography

Lai Mohammed was born into the family of Alhaji Mohammed Adekeye in 1952. He is a native of Oro in Kwara State. In 1975, he earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Obafemi Awolowo University. Then in 1986, he obtained a law degree from the University of Lagos, and then Nigerian Law School. As a practicing Lawyer, Alhaji Lai Mohammed co-founded the legal firm of Edu & Mohammed as a Senior Partner in 1989.

Business

He is a businessman and served as the Chairman of Optmedia Limited, a subsidiary of Afromedia Plc since 18 December 2008. He alsk served as a Director of Afromedia PLC since May 2011. He is also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and worked as Public Relations Officer for almost 10 years with the Nigerian Airport Authority, now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Politics

In October 2002, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was a candidate for governor in the April 2003 Kwara State elections on the Alliance for Democracy platform. He was assaulted and five vehicles in his convoy were smashed in front of Senator Suleiman Ajadi’s campaign office at Oke-Onigbin during a festivity.

He is an active politician and was the National Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Nigeria. He served as Governor Tinubu’s Chief of Staff during his first term. On 11th of November 2015 sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Information and Culture following his appointment and successful screening by the Nigerian Senate. On 21 August 2019 he was again sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of information and culture.

Controversies

He has been accused by some local and international news about giving contradictory accounts of events in his country. This is evidential in his #EndSARS accounts, which were at first, different from those claimed by the Lagos State government and the Nigerian Army. In his interview with DW TV, Tim Sebastian accused him of being “out of the loops” of his country’s politics.

He had accused CNN of being “desperate”, after the international media released several footages, to prove the massacre of the protesters at the Lekki tollgate, Lagos, Nigeria. However, the CNN had requested for substantial proofs, to prove that the media outlet had reported “Fake news”, as he claimed.

Past Offices held

Chairman of Optmedia Limited, a subsidiary of Afromedia Plc
Director of Afromedia PLC
Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and worked as
Public Relations Officer for almost 10 years with the Nigerian Airport Authority, now Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
National Publicity Secretary of All Progressive Congress(APC) in Nigeria