Oluyemi (Yemi) Osinbajo is a Nigerian lawyer, professor and politician who served as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Vice President of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. This neutral biography covers his early life, education, career, family and public record, with allegations described as allegations.
Editorial note: last checked on 26 October 2026. See also our profile of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whom he served in Lagos.
Osinbajo at a glance
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 March 1957, Lagos |
| Education | Igbobi College, Lagos; LLB, University of Lagos (1978); Nigerian Law School (1979); LLM, London School of Economics (1980) |
| Career | Law lecturer and professor at the University of Lagos; Senior Advocate of Nigeria |
| Offices | Attorney General of Lagos State (1999 to 2007); Vice President of Nigeria (29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023) |
| Family | Married Oludolapo Soyode in 1989; three children |
Early life and legal career
Osinbajo studied law at the University of Lagos and the London School of Economics. He lectured at the University of Lagos from 1981, became a professor of law in 1997 and headed its Department of Public Law. Between 1988 and 1992 he served as a senior adviser to Attorney General Bola Ajibola. He also worked as a senior officer with the UN operation in Somalia.
Lagos and the vice presidency
From 1999 to 2007 he was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State under Governor Bola Tinubu. He helped draft the APC’s 2014 manifesto and, in December 2014, was named Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate. He was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2015 and again on 29 May 2019. He served as Acting President during Buhari’s medical absences in 2016 and 2017 and chaired a committee on the economic response to COVID-19 in 2020.
2023 bid and after office
In April 2022 he announced a bid for the APC presidential nomination and finished third in the June 2022 primary with 235 delegate votes. After leaving office he chaired a Commonwealth observation group for Sierra Leone’s 2023 election and became a global adviser to an energy alliance, and he leads the non-profit Future Perspectives.
Reports and responses
News reports in 2019 and 2022 linked his former law firm to a company and to campaign donations; the firm denied any role in one case, the EFCC said an allegation was unsubstantiated, and the sources we reviewed report that no charges or official investigations have been made public.
Frequently asked questions
When was Osinbajo Vice President?
From 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023.
Is Osinbajo a professor?
Yes, a professor of law who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Who is his wife?
Dolapo Osinbajo (née Soyode), who is a granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo.
Sources
Wikipedia: Yemi Osinbajo. Learn more about his wife’s family in our Obafemi Awolowo biography.
Images: Unsplash photographers; general scenes, not photographs of the subject. More on our Learn Yoruba hub.
