Oladimeji Saburi Bankole, widely known as Dimeji Bankole, was born on 14 November 1969 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, into a distinguished Yoruba family with deep roots in public service and community leadership. He was raised in a Muslim household of Egba origin. His father, Alani Bankole, was a prominent businessman and political figure who once served as National Vice‑Chairman and acting Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party and held important traditional titles in Egbaland. His mother, Atinuke Bankole, was equally respected in the community.
Bankole began his formal education at Baptist Boys’ High School in Abeokuta in 1979 and later continued his studies at Albany College in London. In 1989, he gained admission to the University of Reading in England, where he studied economics and graduated in 1991. Shortly after, he undertook a short course at the University of Oxford’s Officers’ Training Corps and advanced his understanding of public finance and administration at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he earned a Master of Public Administration degree in 2005 and later became a Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management.
Before entering politics, Bankole established himself in the private sector. He worked in executive roles across several companies, including serving as Director at Freight Agencies Nigeria Limited, Executive Director of Operations at West African Aluminium Products Limited, and Director at ASAP Limited. He also showed a humanitarian side by founding the Emma Skipper Foundation, through which he supported initiatives like micro‑credit programs and scholarships for young Nigerians.
Bankole’s political career began in 2003 when he was elected to represent Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party. During his first term, he served as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and as Chairman of the House Committee on Land Transport. He also participated in committees focused on defence, internal affairs, and banking and currency matters. He was re‑elected in 2007, affirming his growing influence in national politics.
In November 2007, Bankole achieved national prominence when he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives at the age of 38, making him the youngest person to hold that position in Nigeria’s history. His tenure was marked by a determined effort to strengthen legislative oversight and accountability. Under his leadership, federal ministries, departments, and agencies returned significant amounts of unspent funds to the treasury for the first time, demonstrating a more assertive legislative role in financial management. The House also passed more than a hundred bills, including laws intended to enhance fiscal responsibility and government transparency. The legislature’s oversight led to the termination of an inflated airport runway contract in Abuja and other actions that underscored Bankole’s commitment to public service reform.
Near the end of his term, Bankole faced legal challenges related to financial conduct, but he was cleared of all charges after a court ruled that a loan taken by the House of Representatives had been fully repaid and that he had not personally benefited from it.
After leaving the House of Representatives in 2011, Bankole remained active in public life. In 2018 he became the governorship candidate for Ogun State under the Action Democratic Party, and in 2021 he officially joined the All Progressives Congress, aligning himself with Nigeria’s ruling party.
On a personal level, Bankole is known for his interest in sports, particularly polo and football, and he is a member of the Lagos Polo Club and the Guards Polo Club in Abuja. He remarried in January 2021 to Aisha Shinkafi Saidu, a lawyer and graduate of the University of Hull in the United Kingdom, in a well‑attended ceremony in Abuja that celebrated both cultural traditions and family ties.
Throughout his life, Dimeji Bankole has combined public service, private enterprise, and social engagement, shaping his career around legislative leadership and community development in modern Nigeria.
