President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed former Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Femi Ajayi as the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund (PTDF). According to the presidency, the appointment of Mr. Ajayi who replaces Dr. Oluwole Oluleye takes immediate effect.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade in his congratulatory message described Ajayi as an astute administrator. “I congratulate Mr. Femi Ajayi on his new appointment. He is an astute administrator whose experience has positively impacted on the smooth running of the Agency. We are going to miss him but his legacies will continue to live on even in his absence” Giade stated.
Giaded added that Ajayi’s appointment will further reposition PTDF for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Mr. Femi Ajayi is a multi-disciplinary professional (biochemist, journalist and international law expert). Prior to his appointment as NDLEA Director General, Ajayi was the Senior Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Development Cooperation and Disapora Relations.
In 2012, Ajayi was conferred with the Chieftaincy title of Otunba Ayegbaju by the Owa of Ayegbaju-Ekiti, Oba Solomon Oluwanle Adeloye in recognition of Ajayi’s contribution to community development.
Ajayi had previously served with Department For International Development (DFID) as a Senior Communication Specialist at DFID-ProPCom; Resident Coordination Specialist of the United System (2005/2006); UNICEF Communication Consultant for HIV/AIDS (2001); National Professional Officer for Communication and Informatics for UNESCO (1999/2001); United Nations Information Centre (1992 to 1999), Science Editor/Member of the Editorial Board of Daily Times (1987/90), and Media Consultant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) (1991).
As Science Editor/Member of the Editorial Board of Daily Times, Mr. Ajayi participated in the six-week International Workshop on Drug Abuse and Trafficking sponsored by the United States Information Agency at the Voice of America in Washington D.C. in May –June 1989 where he presented a paper on Nigeria’s Drug Scene: the challenge of Drug Demand Reduction and Prohibition.
An experienced International Civil Servant, Development Communication Specialist, and Public Affairs Analyst, Mr. Ajayi got his first degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ife in 1981; Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Times Journalism
Institute 1984; and Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Akoka-Lagos.
Ajayi has authored many books including Sustainable Development Diplomacy: Nigeria’s Diplomatic Wars for Regional Progress (2003); Communication for HIV/AIDS Prevention: A guidebook for practitioners (2001) and Reporting the United Nations: A Handbook for Journalists.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
