Pius Osunyikanmi, a former Director-General of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps and former Ondo State Commissioner for Education, has died at 55.
The Ondo State Radiovision Corporation reported his death on Saturday, 24 October. His career took him from education administration in Ondo State to the leadership of a federal agency deploying Nigerian professionals to serve overseas.
Rotimi Akinwamide, the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo constituency, acknowledged the death in a condolence message reported by The PUNCH. He described Osunyikanmi as an accomplished academic and public servant whose contributions extended beyond his hometown of Ile-Oluji.
“Dr. Osunyikanmi’s life was marked by dedication to education, public administration, and national service,” Akinwamide said. He extended condolences to the family, friends, political associates and people of Ile-Oluji.
The Nigerian Technical Aid Corps lists Osunyikanmi among its former directors-general, recording his tenure as 2013 to 2023. He was first appointed under President Goodluck Jonathan and continued in the role after President Muhammadu Buhari took office.
Buhari approved his reappointment for a second and final five-year term in 2018. A statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, reported by The Guardian at the time, gave 10 August 2018 as the effective date.
The reappointment was made under Section 9(2)(b) of the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps Act. Olusegun Adekunle, then Permanent Secretary in the General Services Office, announced the appointments on behalf of the government.
Before leading the corps, Osunyikanmi served in the administration of former Ondo governor Olusegun Mimiko. His appointments included Commissioner for Education and Special Adviser on Intergovernmental Affairs and Multilateral Relations.
A May 2018 statement from the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry recorded his birth in Ile-Oluji on 3 August 1971. It also identified him as a holder of a doctorate in political science from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.
The chamber’s then president, Adetokunbo Kayode, welcomed his reappointment and praised his administration of the corps. Kayode’s statement linked the agency’s work to Nigeria’s external relations and cooperation with countries receiving its volunteers.
Established in 1987, the Technical Aid Corps provides Nigerian expertise to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The agency describes the scheme as a foreign-policy instrument. It draws on Nigeria’s pool of trained professionals to meet requests from governments in participating countries.
Its volunteers normally serve for two years under agreements defining the responsibilities of Nigeria and the receiving country. Nigeria provides travel and monthly allowances, while recipient countries provide accommodation, utilities, transport and medical care.
Requests for volunteers pass through Nigerian diplomatic missions or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each deployment is governed by a country agreement setting out the obligations of both governments.
The scheme draws on Nigerian graduates with at least three years of post-National Youth Service Corps experience. Candidates undergo interviews and orientation before deployment, and the corps monitors their service abroad.
Osunyikanmi’s decade at the head of the organisation forms part of its officially recorded leadership history, between the tenure of Ambassador Daura Mamman and the administration that succeeded him in 2023.
Portrait of Pius Osunyikanmi via Ondo State Radiovision Corporation.
