Nigerian Minister of Information during Ibrahim Babangida’s military regime, Mr. Alex Akinyele, has died. He was aged 81.
One of the children of the deceased, Mr Constantine Akinyele, said the former minister died on Thursday night after a brief illness.
Akinyele, who was a public relations expert, was a pioneer spokesperson of the Nigerian Customs Service.
A flamboyant Minister and a man of the people, Akinyele was an indigene of Ondo and a chief in the ancient city in Ondo state.
He was also a Secretary General and later, President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations.
Akinyele was also Chairman of the National Sports Commission and a member of the Constituent Assembly.
The former Minister earned a degree in the English Language from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).