His Excellency Mr. Akilaja Olufemi Akiwumi was born on 30th April, 1939. He is a lawyer by profession and worked as a private legal practitioner from 1962 to 1968. After, serving for a year as Senior State Attorney, he became Group Legal Adviser to Unilever Ghana Limited in 1970. He has worked as Protection Officer, Addis Ababa, and has also served as Representative, Papua New Guinea, of the UNHCR.

Between 1988 -1990, Mr. Akilaja Olufemi was Senior Regional Legal Advisor for English Speaking Africa and Geneva, representing the High Commissioner in negotiations leading to the return of Namibian Refugees to their country within the framework of the Security Council Resolutions relating to Namibian Independence. In 1990, he served as Head of Desk for Southern Africa responsible for the preparation and implementation of all programmes for the protection and assistance of refugees.

Mr. Akilaja Olufemi Akiwumi has served as Deputy Representative of the UNHCR to Sudan, Acting Representative to the former Soviet Union and Representative to the Republic of Sierra Leone. After retiring from the UNHCR, he assumed the position of the Chairman of the Ghana Refugee Board.

He is married with three children and enjoys reading and golf.