Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo was educated at a Baptist school and worked as a teacher. In 1958 he joined the army, in 1959 he received the first officer rank. Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo received military education in Great Britain (at the Academy in Aldershot) and India, at the staff college in Wellington, military engineering education – at the Indian Military Engineering School.
After the coup on July 29, 1975, he became the Vice-President and Chief of the General Staff of Nigeria.
In February 1999 he received the majority of votes in the presidential elections, acting as the Head of the People's Democratic Party (since then it was a ruling political party in the country) and officially took office as the President in May 1999. Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo declared fighting against corruption and the remnants of separatism as the main goals of his presidency.
In 2003 he won the presidential election and was reelected for the second presidential term. Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo has achieved great success in fighting against corruption.
O. Obasanjo stepped down from the presidency on May 29, 2007, transferring power to his successor Umar Yar-Adua.
Later Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo became a very influential Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling People's Democratic Party, a member of the Madrid Club, a special envoy of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the Congolese conflict.