Opeyemi Bright, a 29-year-old British citizen of Nigerian descent, has been appointed mayor of Barking and Dagenham, becoming the youngest individual to hold the position in the borough’s history.
Bright was officially confirmed as mayor in April and formally inaugurated during a ceremony held on Friday.
Her political career began in 2018 when she was elected as a councillor at the age of 22, making her the youngest person to serve in that role at the time. In addition to her political work, Bright has also served as a school governor and as a board member of Agile Africa, a non-governmental organisation focused on equipping young people with technology skills.
