Preceded by Aminu Bashir Wali | ||
Born February 2, 1956 (age 61)
Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria ( 1956-02-02 ) Alma mater Columbia University
St John's College, Cambridge
London School of Economics Education St John's College, Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science, Columbia University Profiles | ||
Geoffrey Jideofor Kwusike Onyeama (born February 2, 1956) is Nigeria's Minister for Foreign Affairs. Onyeama was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria in November 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Early life and education
Onyeama was born to the family of Nigerian jurist Charles Onyeama. He holds Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree in Political Science from Columbia University, New York in 1977 and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree in Law from St John's College, Cambridge in 1980. He holds a Masters of Law (LL.M) from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1982 and a Masters of Arts (M.A) in Law from St John's College, Cambridge in 1984. Onyeama was admitted as a Barrister-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1983 and was also called to the English Bar of the Grey's Inn in 1981.
Career
Onyeama began his career as a Research Officer in the Nigerian Law Reform Commission Lagos from 1983 to 1984. He then worked as a lawyer with Mogboh and Associates in Enugu, Nigeria from 1984 to 1985. In 1985, he joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) as an Assistant Programme Officer for Development Cooperation and External Relations, Bureau for Africa and Western Asia. He rose through the ranks at the WIPO to become Deputy Director General for the Development Sector in 2009. In November 2015 he was appointed Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Personal Life
Geoffrey Onyeama is married, and has three children.