United States President-elect, Mr Joe Biden has appointed a Nigeria-American, Osaremen Okolo his COVID Policy Advisor.
This is coming weeks after Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo was announced as the assistant secretary of treasury designate.
According to a statement from the Bide-Harris Transition Committee, Okolo, whose parents came from Edo State is one of the coordinators for three crucial aspects of the COVID-19 response strategy: supply chain management, vaccinations, and testing.
“These diverse accomplished, and crisis-tested individuals will work to quickly implement a comprehensive, whole-of-government COVID-19 response strategy to contain the pandemic, restore public trust, and protect all Americans.”
Osaremen Okolo serves on the Biden-Harris Transition domestic policy team. Prior to joining the transition, Okolo served as Senior Health Policy Advisor to U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. Okolo drafted, negotiated, and managed the Congresswoman’s legislation, oversight, and policy across a comprehensive health care and public health agenda, most recently focusing almost exclusively on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, Okolo served as Legislative Aide for Health Policy on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) for Ranking Member Patty Murray of Washington.
A daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Okolo was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College.