Segun Awolowo, former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and grandson of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has died at the age of 62.
The Awolowo family announced his passing on Thursday, describing him as “a painfully loyal servant to Nigeria” and “a true family man, a great friend, and a deeply beautiful human being.”
Awolowo led the NEPC between 2013 and 2022, during which he played a pivotal role in promoting Nigerian trade.
In July 2021, he was unanimously elected president of the National Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) from ECOWAS member states.
He later served as secretary of the National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Born on September 27, 1963, two months after his father’s death in a car accident, Segun Awolowo began his education at Mayhill Convent School alongside Dolapo Osinbajo.
He later attended Igbobi College, Yaba, and completed secondary school at Government College, Ibadan, before earning an LLB from Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago Iwoye.
In their statement, the Awolowo family said: “He loved his family. He loved his work. He loved his country. And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.”
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
