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Olatunji Bello (born 1 July 1961) is a lawyer, environmentalist, political scientist, journalist and the sitting Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources under the Babajide Sanwo-Olu Administration in Lagos State. He is a Lagosian.[1][2][3][4][5]
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Olatunji Bello | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lagos State Commissioner of Environment | |
| Assumed office 20 August 2019 – May 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Babajide Sanwoolu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1961 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Spouse | Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello |
| Awards | He received the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship, United States |
 | This article needs to be updated. (June 2024) |
He has a BSc Degree from the University of Ibadan where he studied Political science and graduated in 1984.[6] He earned his master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy ML.D in (1987) from the University of Lagos. He also earned a Bachelor of Law degree from the same University of Lagos, Nigeria, in the year 2000.[7][4]
Bello is a Barrister at Law (BL) qualifying from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos In 2001 having graduated wit LL.B (Hons.) (Bachelor Of Law).[8]
Tunji Bello started his media career at the defunct Concord Press of Nigeria where he grew to become an Editor. He started out as a Features Writer; was also an Assistant Features Editor. His career in journalism grew so quickly that he became a Politics Editor at the age of 27. He was later promoted to the Editor of the Sunday title and later Editor of the Daily title of the Concord Newspapers Group. He was also appointed Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspaper in 2000.[9] He was a Staff Writer with St. Petersburg Times, Florida, US, and also the US News & World Report, Washington DC in 1992.[1][10]
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As a student at the University of Ibadan, Tunji Bello was Vice President of the University of Ibadan Students Union. He has always agitated for democracy since the 80s. His mainstream national political career started when he served as the Special Assistant to Bashorun MKO Abiola, winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, Presidential election. After the annulment of the epochal election, Tunji Bello became a member of the Nigerian pro-democracy group, NADECO which fought for the actualisation of Democracy in Nigeria, which was active from 1993 to 1999. After the handing over from the Military rule to the Democratic dispensation in 1999, Tunji Bello joined the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmeed Tinubu in his cabinet. He served as the Head of Signage and Advertising Agency (LASSA) and also the Commissioner for Environment in the Asiwaju administration in 2003[1][4][9]
In July 2011, he joined the Governor Babatunde Fashola's administration as he was sworn in by the Governor as Commissioner for Environment where he served till May 29, 2015.[11]
In 2015, after the swearing in of the former Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Tunji Bello was appointed as the Secretary to the State Government on the 29th May 2015 serving till the end of Akinwunmi Ambode's administration in 2019.[12]
In 2019, He joined the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration and he was sworn in by the Governor in 2019 as the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, following the confirmation of his nomination as a cabinet member by the State House of Assembly. He was the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources until 2023.[10][13]
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He has received different awards. He received the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship, United States. He won the Concord Press award for Excellence and Bravery in Journalism, Concord Publisher's Best Editorial Manager. He was a recipient of the University of Ibadan Distinguished Alumnus Award and the University of Lagos Distinguished Alumni Achievers Award Of Excellence. He was honoured by Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ikeja, Lagos branch, and the UNDP for laying the foundation for environmental sustenance in Lagos State. He has authored one book and contributed to four others.[10][14]
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He is the husband of Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the current Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University since September 2021.[15]
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