Tom Ikimi

He was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister March 1995

of the Movement of Non-Aligned countries, Bandung, Indonesia, 28 April 1995.

His tenure as Foreign Minister coincided with the period when the West African sub-region and indeed much of Africa was beset with conflicts, which including civil wars in Angola, Rwanda/Burundi, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), the Sudan, Liberia, Somalia and Sierra Leone. The central organ of the OAU was established in Cairo in 1994 as a mechanism for resolving these conflicts. In his tenure, Nigeria retained her membership of the central organ in the three successive elections which were conducted annually. Aside from the several meetings of the OAU council of ministers, Ikimi represented Nigerian Head of State at the summit meeting of the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for the Prevention, Management and Resolution of Conflicts in Tunis, 20 April 1995. He also Led Nigeria’ delegation to the 31st OAU Assembly of Heads of State and Government at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 26–28 June 1995, also in Cameroun, 9–10 July 1996 at the 32 OAU Assembly. Zimbabwe, 1–3 June 1997 and Burkina Faso, 8 June 1998.

He was the Special Adviser To the Head Of State, Commander-In-Chief, General Sani Abacha in February, 1994 where he prepared the memo for the establishment of the highly successful Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF)

Honoured by Pope John Paul II 1993 Knight of St. Gregory The Great KSG. Honoured by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, March 2003 D.Sc (Architecture) Honoured by the Ooni of Ife- Akinrogun of Ife — 1991 Inherited family title in homeland- Igueben, Esanland- Edo State- Inneh of Igueben 1988 Title given by the community- Oduma of Igueben — 1993

Member Constituent Assembly — 1988/89, Member Chapter 2 Committee “Fundamental Objectives and Directives Principles of State Policy”. National Chairman- National Republican Convention Party — 1990-1992.

He was a pioneer member of the National Youth Service Corps Program serving in Ibadan, western [Nigeria] in 1973 - 74. Architect in the firm of planning partnership later IBRU Vaughan Richards & Partners, Lagos from 1974 - 1977 and was made Associate partner in 1975. Established his own firm, Tom Ikimi Design Company in May 1977 and executed a number of private and commercial projects within and outside Nigeria (1977 - 1993). He later won the international competition for the new OAU office and conference Centre project, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (FNIA) and has business interests in construction, trade and farming.

His professional education in Architecture was at the Ahmadu Bello University, Architectural School, Zaria from 1968 - 1973, where he obtained the B. Arch (Hons)degree. Ikimi was a member of the student union and National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS). He moved the motion in late 1970 at the NUNS convention in Zaria to readmit the Eastern Unions back into the NUNS at the end of the civil war.

Tom Ikimi attended St. Joseph's College, Sasse-Buea, Southern Cameroons 1957-1961. He was a pioneer student of the Midwestern Polytechnic, Auchi, Midwestern Nigeria, (now Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State) for his technical education from January 1966 - December 1967 (Building and Civil Engineering) where he obtained Ordinary National Diploma. He was a pioneer member of the Students Union, a keen sportsman and established the College Athletics Club.

Chief Tom Ikimi (born 10 April 1944) in Kumba-Southern, British Cameroons (modern-day Cameroon) to John Onile Ikimi and Victoria Isiemoa Ikimi, both from Igueben (Igueben Local Government Area- Edo State). He is married, with three sons and a daughter. He is a Roman Catholic. He was appointed Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1995. He has been chairman of ECOWAS council of ministers and ECOWAS committee of Nine on Liberia(C-9) from 26 July 1996.