Oladele John Nihi (born 15 July 1988) is a Nigerian politician and activist and the current Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kogi State . Before his current appointment, he was the Vice President, West Africa of Panafrican Youth Union. Prior to that, he served as one of the factional presidents of the National Youth Council of Nigeria from 2019 to 2020 but later resigned and initiated a peace and reconciliation move for the unity and progress of the organization.
Career
In 2015, Nihi founded the Youth Initiative Against Unlawful Emigration (YINAGUE) which is involved basically in education and advocacy among youth and young people to resist the temptation to risk their lives through illegal routes and means of emigration; and the Okun Illiteracy Eradication Foundation to fight against illiteracy in Okun land which is the Yoruba speaking part of
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...
.
On 22 March 2017, Nihi declared his intention to contest for the chairmanship of
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...
chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria in a press release.
In 2019, following the decision of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere to resign, a congress was held and Oladele John Nihi was elected as the new president of the youth council. His election was recognized by the council and endorsed by the outgoing president. Shortly after, a leadership tussle broke out as 3 other members declared themselves as presidents. The factionalization and leadership crisis that rocked the NYCN brought the activities of the organization to a halt due to several court orders from the warring factions. Nihi would later step down after a peace accord was signed by all warring factions.
Nihi won in an election held in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
,
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesPanafrican Youth Union. Following his election, a formal reception was organized for him by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. A grand reception event was also organized for him in Lokoja, the capital of
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...
where he hails from.
Personal life
He escaped death in 2015 when he drove into a ditch in an attempt to dodge a motorcycle rider who seemed to have lost control of his motorcycle on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Highway.