Ajuri Obari Ngelale, born November 13, 1986, is a popular Nigerian broadcast journalist and politician who is currently serving as presidential spokesman to President Tinubu. He formerly held the position of Presidential Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs to President Muhammadu Buhari and served as a co-principal spokesperson for the Ahmed Bola Tinubu presidential campaign council during the successful 2023 Nigeria presidential elections.
Profile Summary
| Full Name: | Ajuri Obari Ngelale |
| Date of Birth: | November 13, 1986 |
| Place of Birth: | Platteville, Wisconsin, USA |
| State of Origin: | Rivers state |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Occupation: | Broadcast journalist |
| Net Worth: | $600,000 |
| Wife: | Married |
Early Life and Education
Ngelale was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, USA, to Chief Precious Osaro Ngelale, a Nigerian of Eleme origin, and Diane, his German-American mother.
His father, a geologist and politician, previously served in the Rivers State House of Assembly until the military coup of 1983.
After relocating to the United States in 1985, the family returned to Nigeria in 1999 when civilian rule was restored, and his father was appointed to the federal cabinet as a minister.
Ngelale holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, USA. In 2011, he returned to Nigeria to fulfill the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) requirement.
Career
Ngelale commenced his journalism career as a youth corps member at Africa Independent Television during his one-year national service. After its completion, he continued with AIT as an investigative reporter, progressing to roles such as news editor, producer, and presenter from 2011 to 2016.
Notable contributions at AIT included producing acclaimed documentary series like “State of the Nation” (2012) and “Diary from the Delta” (2016).
In 2016, he joined Channels Television, co-anchoring the popular public policy discussion program “Sunrise Daily” and creating “Africa’s Future Leaders” in collaboration with the U.S. Mandela Washington Fellowship.
In 2019, he left Channels TV to become the lead media content producer for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Next Level Presidential Campaign, supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection.
After their victory in 2019, Ngelale served as Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs to President Buhari until 2023.
In October 2022, Ngelale was appointed co-principal spokesperson of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Organization.
He has made frequent appearances on national and international media, including CNN, BBC, and Al-Jazeera. On July 31, 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Ngelale as his official spokesperson.
Ajuri Ngelale Net Worth
Ajuri Ngelale is a popular Nigerian broadcast journalist and politician who has an estimated net worth of $600,000.
Personal Life
Ajuri Ngelale is happily married to an Igbo woman, and their union is blessed with three children.