Tag: lai mohammed

Lai Mohammed, a former Minister of Information and Culture, has said his appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 was not a sudden decision but the culmination of years of trust, shared convictions, loyalty, and service.

Mohammed, who served as information minister for almost eight years during Buhari’s administration, disclosed this in his book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration.

The book, launched in Abuja on December 17, 2025, to coincide with what would have been Buhari’s 83rd birthday, chronicles his experiences as minister under the late President.

Recalling the period after Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015, Mohammed said it took a while for the former President to name his cabinet.

However, because of the trust and confidence Buhari placed in him, Mohammed was personally appointed to the Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee in April 2015, after the other members had already been named.

The committee was tasked with liaising with the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to review handover notes and prepare a blueprint for the incoming government.

Mohammed detailed the telephone conversation that led to his appointment:“‘Hello,’ the voice on the line said. ‘Is this Alhaji Lai Mohammed?’ I answered in the affirmative. ‘Hold on for Mr President,’ the voice said.

“Within the hour, I received a call from Tunde, who asked where he should deliver the letter appointing me to the transition committee,”Mohammed narrated in the book.

He said that when the committee was first named and he was not included, he did not feel left out or slighted, but was simply happy that the party had won the elections.

According to Mohammed, Buhari’s personal appointment marked the beginning of a cordial and special relationship that lasted until the former President’s death on July 13, 2025.

Mohammed also recalled that a few days before Buhari’s 100th day in office, a close confidant of the President requested him to assist the spokesmen ahead of the landmark celebration.

At that time, Buhari had not yet named his ministers but had appointed Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu as his spokespersons.

“I did not need a soothsayer to tell me that the call was a further indication of the President’s confidence in me.

“The same confidant told me on another occasion that if there was anyone the President was very sure would make his cabinet and whose portfolio he was already sure of, that person was me,” he wrote.

Mohammed said his relationship with Buhari dated back to 2012, when he requested through Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that Buhari write the foreword to his first book, Witness to History. Buhari graciously agreed, wrote the foreword, and attended the book launch.

The next encounter came during the run-up to the 2015 general election, after the merger that birthed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mohammed, who was the opposition spokesman for the Action Congress of Nigeria and later the APC for over a decade, said he was regularly part of meetings with Buhari in Kaduna alongside his political leader, President Bola Tinubu, and Chief Bisi Akande.

He added that these long-standing interactions, built on mutual respect and shared political ideals, laid the foundation for the confidence Buhari later placed in him as minister.

“Serving in Buhari’s administration for nearly eight years allowed me to witness firsthand the former President’s dedication to discipline, integrity, and national service—values that guided my own conduct in office,” Mohammed said.

Lai Mohammed, a former Minister of Information and Culture, has disclosed the question former President Muhammadu Buhari asked him during the 2021 decision to suspend Twitter (now 𝕏).

He stated that Buhari asked him if he had the capacity to carry out the deed, to which he replied affirmatively.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television on Tuesday, he dismissed claims that the social media platform was banned because it offended the political class.

He maintained that the suspension followed long-standing engagements and unresolved regulatory concerns.

“When we took the decision to suspend the operations of Twitter, the President, God bless his soul, asked me only one question: do I have the capacity to do so? And I said yes.

“I discussed with my colleague, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy. But the sole purpose why we suspended the operation of Twitter was because it was becoming reckless,” Mohammed stated.

Nigeria and Twitter reached an agreement in 2022, leading to the restoration of the platform after a 222-day suspension.

As part of the deal, Twitter committed to establishing a legal presence in Nigeria, paying applicable taxes, appointing a country representative and cooperating with the government on content regulation.

While some conditions reportedly took time to fully materialise, the government has maintained that the measures were necessary to protect national interest rather than suppress free expression.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the immediate past Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, has been appointed as the managing partner of an international lobbying firm, Ballard Partners.

His appointment was announced in a statement shared on the firm’s official Twitter page on Tuesday.

“Ballard Partners, one of the top government relations firms in the United States, is opening its first office in Africa in Abuja, Nigeria, the nation’s capital,” the statement reads.

“Lai Mohammed, the immediate past Nigeria minister of information and culture, will serve as the managing partner of the Abuja office and the firm’s satellite office in Lagos, the nation’s financial centre.”

According to the firm’s president, Brian Ballard, Mohammed was given the role because he “is one of the most respected officials in the country”.

“Opening our first African office in Nigeria expands our firm’s international footprint to three continents and builds upon the important work we have done on behalf of African nations and companies in Africa and the U.S.,” the firm’s president said.

“We are honoured to have former minister Lai Mohammed join the firm as our managing partner in Nigeria. He has a long record of public service and is one of the most respected officials in the country. His outstanding reputation and exceptional experience will be invaluable to our firm’s clients.”

Reacting to his new appointment, Mohammed said Ballard Partners has a perfect record globally and is delighted to be a part of the firm.

“I am very pleased to join Ballard Partners and to open the firm’s first office in Africa,” he was quoted as saying.

“Ballard Partners has an impeccable reputation internationally and is well known for its success representing African countries and American firms in Africa.”