Trump appoints Nigerian to strategic policy board

In what could be viewed as a deft move the United States President-elect, Donald Trump, has named a Nigerian investment banker, Bayo Ogunlesi, to serve as a strategist on his economic policy team.

He is to serve in the 16-member group to be led by Stephen Schwarzman of the American equity firm, Blackstone, according to the Cable News Network (CNN).

Mr. Ogunlesi, a private equity tycoon, came into international limelight in 2010 for his acquisition of Gatwick International Airport in London. The deal was worth about $2 billion. He is going to serve as a member of the board, which also included CEOs of General Motors and IBM.

The group will have a direct line to Mr. Trump and be tasked with giving the president-elect nonpartisan views on how government policy impacts the economy and jobs.

The forum is to hold its first meeting during the first week of February at the White House.

Ogunlesi, 63, is the co-founder and chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners, an investment firm with a primary interest in infrastructure and real estate development. He is the first Nigerian to be appointed by Trump. His appointment came a year after President Barack Obama named Adewale Adeyemo as his Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics.