Oyekunle Oluwasanmi, a former minister of state for steel and power in Nigeria, has passed away.
In a statement, his family stated that he passed away on Thursday, July 14 at the age of 85.
In 1992, Oluwasanmi was chosen to lead the board of the News Agency of Nigeria. Additionally, he served on the boards of Kinley Securities Limited and Wise Health Services Limited, among other businesses.
The late Oluwasanmi was from Ipetu Ijesha in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, where he was actively engaged in community-building initiatives till the very end. His brother, the late Professor Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, was a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Osun State, from 1966 to 1975.
In 1995, in recognition of his sterling administrative skills, he was appointed by the Federal Military Government as a member of the Committee for States and Local Governments Creation. He was part of a committee that advocated the creation of Ekiti, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Gombe, Zamfara and Bayelsa states in 1996.
In recognition of his solid administrative prowess, he was appointed minister of State for Power and Steel in 1997.
Under his watch, several reforms which positively impacted the nation’s power and steel sector were introduced.
A community leader worthy of emulation, Oluwasanmi was the Customs and Excise Area administrator for Tin Can Island Ports and subsequently at Calabar Ports. He is survived by his wife, Grace Fehintola, children and grandchildren.
