Draft:Ifeanyi Ossai

Ifeanyi Ossai is a lawyer, entrepreneur and politician who has served as Deputy Governor of Enugu State since May 2023. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Early life and education
Ifeanyi Ossai studied Law at the University of Nigeria, and graduated in 1999. He also attended the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, in 2001, and was called to the Nigerian Bar. In 2006, he obtained a Masters degree in information Technology, Media and E-Commerce Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, which further honed his knowledge of law.

Legal Career
Ifeanyi’s interest in public service was kindled quite early in his career. He began his career as a young legislative intern in the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly. At the time, his duties entailed the arduous note-taking at House sessions, research on proposed bills and debates on issues before the House, and Legislative Advocacy and administrative support to the Deputy Speaker’s Office.

The experience gained would later help him secure a place as a Legal Officer at the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) for his National Youth Service, where he worked in a team that negotiated terms of access between NITEL and other operators. He also worked in the Interconnectivity Committee responsible for E1 negotiation and granting of access to NITEL Local Loop as well as relating with external solicitors of NITEL and appraising their service delivery.

Between 2002 and 2005, Ossai was a counsel in the law firm of Ade Okeoya- Inneh SAN & Co., a firm of legal practitioners in Abuja. Here, he was largely engaged in active legal practice, representing clients in courts and tribunals. His other tasks comprised negotiating contracts on behalf of clients in Nigeria and Overseas, offering commercial law advice and advertisement regulation; advising clients on telecommunications licensing regulations and its industry-related competition issues. Ossai was also worked as a counsel at a law firm called Pearl Partnership with other lawyers including Nnaemeka Onyeke and Mba Frank.

Ifeanyi Ossai’s interest in social justice led him to enlist as a pro bono counsel with the Nigerian Legal Aid Council, a body statutorily obliged to provide free legal services to indigent citizens who are hampered by financial constraints in their pursuit of their rights and privileges. For three years, he provided free legal aid to various people, especially in criminal matters on behalf of the Council, and often, ultimately leading to justice for the indigent and the oppressed.

Entrepreneurship
In 2001, as a member of the National Youth Service Corps, Ifeanyi Ossai founded a company named Royal Projects Limited with which he competed in the emerging and growing construction and Abuja property market. Ossai has also forayed into the oil and gas sector. In 2016, he set up Afrigate Energy Limited, which provides energy logistics support and supplies to clients across the country.

His experience in business transcends the private sector. Until his nomination as Mr. Mbah’s running-mate, he was involved in numerous boardroom and corporate governance matters, where he sat on the boards of many companies including the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Ifeanyi Ossai was also a consultant to many multinational organisations, including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority etc.

Political Career
After the Enugu State PDP gubernatorial primaries of 25 May 2022, Dr. Peter Mbah emerged as winner and picked Ifeanyi Ossai as his running mate.

On 22 March 2023, after the election, Ossai was declared Deputy Governor-Elect of Enugu State by the Independent National Electoral Commission and presented a Certificate of Return. He was sworn in as Deputy Governor on 29 May 2023 in Enugu.

Personal Life
Ifeanyi Ossai is married to Adaeze Ifeyinwa Ossai.