Godwin Obaseki

Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki (born 1 July 1957) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is currently the Governor of Edo State.

Obaseki began his career as a stockbroker in 1983 with Capital Trust Brokers Limited, Lagos.

He later transferred his services to the International Merchant Bank.

He moved to AVC Funds Limited, Lagos, in 1988, where he served as a Project Manager.

He moved back to New York and worked as a Principal of Equatorial Finance Company, a Financial Advisory firm.

He focused on Africa and provided Structured Trade Finance for African-related transactions.

Obaseki is the founding secretary, (1992), of a US-based Africa Chamber of Commerce.

He was also a Director of Junior Achievement of Nigeria – the local affiliate of international non profit Organisation (NGO).

In 1995, Godwin Obaseki founded Afrinvest West Africa Limited (formerly Securities Transactions & Trust Company Limited (SecTrust), which has grown to become one of the most reputable investment banking and management firms in Nigeria.

Between 2006 and 2009, he served as a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Council.

He is a Trustee of the Dr Jackson Owen Obaseki Foundation, a family-owned Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

Before becoming governor, he served as chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team inaugurated by former Governor Adams Oshiomole in March 2009.

Obaseki holds post graduate degrees in both Finance and International Business, and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers, Nigeria.

Obaseki served as an executive board member of several private companies including Afrinvest.

He was first elected governor under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the year 2016 where He defeated Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP and was sworned in as governor on 12 November 2016.

Obaseki later stepped down from his position as chairman of the board of directors of Afrinvest in September 2016, to contest the gubernatorial election in Edo State.

In an article by Vanguard daily, he was tagged the "Wake and See Governor."

Pundits say this is because he prefers working and delivering infrastructural projects without prior fanfare or needless rhetoric.

Before becoming the Edo State Governor, Obaseki served as the Chairman of the Economic and Strategy Team (EST).

In that capacity, he pioneered a number of policy reforms that saw the state restructure its public finance, secure funding for infrastructure and improve the business environment to attract investment in power, agriculture and other critical sectors.

Obaseki was also instrumental in attracting the Edo-Azura power project, with support from World Bank to the state.

Aside these, some of his other reforms include:

For seven years in the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, his predecessor, he served as voluntary Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team as well as Chairman of Tax Assessment Review Committee for Edo State Internal Revenue Service (TARC) and the Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), respectively.

He was Secretary of the Committee on the Implementation of the Law, Establishing the present Edo University, Iyamho, and member of the Committee on Contributory Pension Scheme and Edo SEEFOR/DPO Steering Committee, respectively.

Before serving at the sub-national level, Obaseki served in the Presidential Committee on the Reform of the Nigerian Pension System, which facilitated the introduction of the contributory pension scheme and other novel pension reforms.

He also served in the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission Committee on the Re-activation of the Nigerian Bond Market and the review of the Investment and Securities Act.

Since assuming duty as the Executive Governor of Edo State on 12 November 2016, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki has enacted projects with the aim of making the state an investment hub.

Such projects, includes:

Asides his infrastructural projects, he has also enacted a number of social development initiatives.

The state government has proposed to build about 200 Primary Healthcare Centres.

Obaseki's focus in the health sector is to develop a viable primary healthcare system to provide affordable and accessible health care services to people in the state.

He is the recipient of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) award for best performing Governor of the year in October 2019.

Obaseki was born in Benin City, Western Region, Nigeria (now Edo State, Nigeria).

He is the third child of Late Pa Roland Obaseki and Gbinigie of Owina Street, Ogbelaka Quarters, Benin City.

He attended St. Matthew's Primary School for his primary school education and proceeded to Eghosa Grammar School, in Benin City, for secondary education.

Obaseki, thereafter proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics.

For his mandatory one year National Youth Service, he served in Jos, Plateau State.

He later left Nigeria for the United States to attend Columbia University and Pace University in New York, where he obtained an MBA in Finance and International Business.

He publicly stated in October 2019 that he will be running for a second term in the State's Gubernatorial election coming up in 2020 stating that his re-election is non-negotiable.

He was controversially disqualified from contesting in the APC primary elections by the screening committee due to his disagreements with the National chairman of the party and his predecessor in office comrade Adams Oshiomhole.