Rauf Aregbesola Biography, Education, Career, Politics

He is a thinker, ardent performer, a visionary leader, a transformational leader, an agent of strategic change, a man for the people.
Aregbesola’s belief in the sanctity of the rule of law is exemplary

Rauf Aregbesola Biography

Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was born on the 25th of May 1957. Aregbesola is a Muslim born into a family of both Muslims and Christians.

Education

He had his primary and secondary education in Ondo State. He later attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Mechanical Engineering and graduated in 1980.

Career

He is a graduate of mechanical engineering. He is the current Minister of the Federal Ministry of Interior of Nigeria. Before that he was the fourth civilian governor of Osun State. He is a native of Ilesa, Osun.
Rauf Aregbesola worked at Nigeria External Telecommunications Limited and Lagos Airport Hotel.
Later he founded his own company, an Engineering firm, Aurora Nigeria Ltd.
Rauf Aregbesola held the position of the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development in Lagos.
He is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM), a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE, a fellow of the Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers (FNATE) and a fellow of the Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria (FCMCIN). As a pro-democracy Human Right activist, he was a major participant in the demilitarization and pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s, he was formally an activist and he was Lagos commissioner for works and infrastructure from 1999 – 2007.

Politics

In the year 2007, Rauf Aregbesola contested for governorship in Osun State and won the election. Even though he was not declared the winner of the election by the independent National Electoral Commission, The Election Appeal Tribunal on November 26, 2010 declared him the winner of the election, leading to his being sworn-in as the governor of Osun State.
On August 9, 2014, Rauf Aregbesola was returned as the Governor of Osun State for another term of four years.

Personal life

He is an exemplary family man, a loving husband and caring father. He is married to Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola.

Awards and Commendations

• Awards for Best Governor in the Southern Nigeria and Best Governor in Social Investments and Social Protection at the 2018 edition of Business Day States Competitiveness and Good Governance Competition.
• GLEEHD Foundation-Commonwealth Democracy Initiative Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award 2014.
• 2014 AD King Prize for Achievement In Public Service.
• United Nations World Summit Award at Global Congress 2013 in Sri Lanka for Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) on E-Learning and Science.
• AES Governor of the Year Award.
• International Human Rights Award of Excellence.
• Islamic Financial News Deal of the Year Award 2013.
• EMRC AgriBusiness Award 2013 in Kigali Rwanda.
• Best Governor in Urban and Rural Infrastructure Development as well as Best Governor in Youth and Sports Development at the first Business Day States Competitiveness sand Good Governance Awards.
• Independent Newspapers’ Man of the Year 2013 Award.
• BusinessWorld Newspaper’s Most Innovative Nigerian Governor in First Term. 2014
• National Infinity Magazine’s Nigerian of the Year 2013.