Olusegun Obasanjo served as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 until 2007. Upon leaving office, he oversaw the first civilian handover of power in Nigeria from one democratically-elected leader to another. Obasanjo’s administration tackled corruption as a major priority, establishing new dedicated bodies and strengthening existing ones.

On a regional level, Obasanjo has played a pivotal role in the regeneration and repositioning of the African Union with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). He has consistently supported the deepening and widening of regional cooperation through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Co-prosperity Alliance Zone.

He was also involved in international mediation efforts in Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique and Burundi, and recently in Ethiopia where he mediated and put an end to the war between the Government of Ethiopia and Tigray. In 2008, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Obasanjo as his Special Envoy on the Great Lakes. In his earlier career, Obasanjo joined the Nigerian army in 1958 and pursued a military career for 21 years.

He joined the Global Commission on Drug Policy in 2015.  He currently serves as the chair of the (regional) West Africa Commission on Drugs.