Alhaji Lai Mohammed
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Alhaji Lai Raufu Mohammed is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Information and Culture for an unprecedented eight years (2015–2023) under President Muhammadu Buhari. He studied at Obafemi Awolowo University graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor’s degree in French with second class (upper) Honours. He also holds law degrees with second class (upper) Honours from the University of Lagos and the Nigeria Law School, Lagos. He worked as a graduate assistant with the University of Ilorin in 1978 and joined the Nigeria Ports Authority as Senior Public Relations Officer in 1978 rising to the position of Corporate Secretary in 1988. He co-founded the legal firm of Edu & Mohammed in 1989, serving as Senior Partner between 1989 and 1999. In 1999 he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 1999. He later served for several years as the National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the All Progressive Congress. He is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association and a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. As the Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed was instrumental in making restitution efforts visible, by documenting and entering repatriated and return belongings into the public imaginary and sphere as a matter of policy.